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Author: 


Arnold,  Bion  Joseph 


Title: 


Report  on  the  Pittsburgh 
transportation  problem 

Place: 

Pittsburgh 

Date: 

1910 


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Arnold,  Bion  Joseph,  1861- 

Report  on  the  Pittsburgh  transportation  problem,  submitted 
to  Honorable  William  A.  Magee,  mayor  of  the  city  of  Pitts- 
burgh. By  Bion  J.  Arnold,  consulting  engineer.  Pittsburgh, 
Pa.  ^Republic  bank  note  company]  1910. 

Ix,  202  p.,  1  1.  front.,  Illus.,  maps  (part  fold.)  plans  (part  fold.) 
tables  (1  fold.)  diagrs.    23''«'. 


a*^Street-rail  roads— Pittsburgh.    2.  Pittsburgh— Rapid  transit 
I.  Title. 


Wbrary  of  Congress 


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REPORT 


ON   THE 


PITTSBURGH 


TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


SUBMITTED   TO 

HONORABLE  WILLIAM   A.  MAGEE, 

Mayor  of  the  City  of  Pittsburgh. 


BY 


BION   J.  ARNOLD, 

G>nsulting  Engineer 


»  • 

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PITTSBURGH,  PENNSYLVANIA 
DECEMBER,    1910 


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CONTENTS. 

Letter  of  Authorization ^ V 

Letter  of  Transmittal VII 

Summary  of  Report 1 

TEXT  OF  REPORT. 

I.  The  Transportation  Problem — General  Discussion     15 

II.  Transportation  in  the  Pittsburgh  District 27 

III.  Review  of  Surface    Traction    Development    in 

Pittsburgh 35 

IV.  Pittsburgh's  Immediate  Transit  Needs 51 

V.  Future  Developments  in  the  Pittsburgh  District 

Preliminary  Report  on  Rapid  Transit  ......     73 

VI.  Financial   and   Operating  Records,   Pittsburgh 

Railways  Company 87 

VII.  Comparative     Traction     Results     in     Largest 

American  Cities 113 

VIII.  City  Planning  and  Transportation 141 

APPENDICES. 

A.  The  Re-Routing  Problem 153 

B.  Regulative  Legislation 163 

INDEX. 


v; 

■  •  • 


■-  I 


t    •  • 


•  • «  .  • 


LETTER  OF  AUTHORIZATION 


January  26th,  1910. 

Mr.  Bion  J.  Arnold, 
Consulting  Engineer, 
Chicago,  111. 
Dear  Sir: — 

I  have  been  authorized  by  the  councils  of  this  city  to  retain 
you  to  investigate  and  make  a  comprehensive  report  upon  the 
transportation  problem  of  the  Pittsburgh  District. 

The  subject  of  transportation  is  the  most  important  matter 
now,  I  dare  say,  before  the  people  of  this  city.  The  city  has  a 
street  railway  system  which  is  a  consolidation  of  many  former 
independent  and  competing  lines  laid  out  according  to  the  designs 
of  the  original  promoters  without  regard  to  any  general  plan. 
The  consoUdated  system  is  now  being  operated  in  a  manner 
which  brings  forth  insistent  complaints  from  every  section. 
The  steam  railroads  are  now  used  to  some  extent  by  a  compara- 
tively limited  number  of  people  in  their  daily  travel  but  this 
service  is  only  incidental  to  the  main  business  of  the  railroads. 
Questions  like  those  of  looping,  of  through-routing,  of  transfers, 
of  compensation  to  the  city,  etc.  must  be  considered  by  compe- 
tent authority.  In  addition  to  the  problem  of  correcting  the 
present  inefficient  service,  there  is  the  larger  question  of  mak- 
ing a  study  for  the  development  of  plans  for  additional  trans- 
portation not  only  to  meet  the  present  needs  of  the  District  but 
also  those  of  the  future. 

Knowing  that  you  have  made  a  preliminary  study  of  these 
matters  for  the  Pittsburgh  Civic  Commission  and  outlined  a 
plan  for  the  collection  of  data  which  would  enable  conclusions 
to  be  drawn  as  to  the  most  satisfactory  and  economical  develop- 
ment for  both  the  present  and  prospective  transit  needs,  and 
believing  that  this  is  one  of  the  most  vital  and  fundamental 
elements  in  the  proper  growth  and  prosperity  of  this  community, 
I  feel  that  any  report  upon  this  problem,  which  affects  practi- 
cally every  interest,  should  be  made  to  the  city  in  order  to  be 
most  effective.  The  Civic  Commission,  agreeing  with  me  in 
this  conclusion,  has  therefore  consented  to  release  you  from  your 
engagement  with  it. 


VI 


LETTER  OF  AUTHORIZATION 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL 


Vil 


I  believe  that  I  am  speaking  the  sentiment  of  nearly  every 
one  in  saying  that  these  questions  should  be  investigate!  m  a 
S  and  impartial  manner  and  with  the  sole  end  m  view  of  leam- 
ne  ?he  truth.    You  will  not  be  handicapped  by  any  previous 
iiuLnTof  anyone,  going  into  the  field  with  an^  unbiased 
mind  and  with  but  little  or  no  knowledge  o    the  present  con- 
S^oversy  on  this  subject.    And  with  your  experience  m  the  equally 
d'fficuk  fields  of  Chicago,  New  York  and  other  places  m  which 
you  have  been  one  of  the  leading  factors  in  working  out  ^ucce^; 
Llly  complicated  situations  as  difficult  a^  our  own   I  have  the 
utmostTa^th  that  you  will  be  able  to  present  a  plan  of  action 
tSwil  appeal  to  all  interests  including  the  transportation  com- 
patTt seirTconsfder  it  to  be  my  duty,  holding  the  office  I  do, 
toTam  a    the  fa.=ts,  to  know  how  much  better  service  the  people 
have  ™  right  to  expect,  what  improvements  m  the  operation 
anrequhfment  and  extensions  into  undeveoped  temtory  we 
may  Tall  fairness  demand,  what  new  rapid  transit  facilities 
we  nid  and  to  what  extent  capital  would  be  justified  m  making 
This  investment  and  what  technical  and  financial  hmitations 
mlv  eJst  in  the  promotion  of  subways,  elevated  roads  and  elec- 
ted "Jam  road?,  etc.    Whatwewant,inaword^i^atoowl^g^ 
of  the  actual  facts  in  our  particular  case,  so  that  we  may  lorm 
tc^^S^si.1  and  logical  solution  of  the  whole  subject  of  passen- 

'"  Te'St^bout  to  enter  upon  a  new  era  of  physical  im- 
provlir  We  intend  to  widen,  extend  and  a^Jr  the  ^^^^^ 
of  streets  at  congested  points  in  the  business  ^istnct    we  a^^^ 
making  plans  for  the  elimination  of  steam  railroad  grade  cross- 
S^reiting  vehicle  traffic  on  streets  and  -^f^^^'\^^^^^^ 
improvements  which  are  intimately  connected  with  ^^Vroved 
tZsit  facilities,  and  which  will  be  the  ^f- ^  ^^^^^^^^ 
provements  looking  to  an  enlarged  and  umfied  Greater  Pittsburgh^ 
rSuake  this  opportunity  to  bespeak  the  co-oP^f  ^^^^^^ 
entire  community  and  its  varied  mterests  ^^77^^^;^^^^^^^^^ 
for  a  more  inviting  business  and  residence  city  and  constantly 

growing  and  prosperous  industrial  District. 

*         6        ^     ^  Yours  very  truly, 


y^  Mayor. 


BiON  J.Arnold 

161  La  Salle  Street 

Chicago 

154  Nassau  Street 

New  York 

December  1st,  1910. 
Honorable  William  A.  Magee, 

Mayor,  City  of  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania. 
Sir: 

Complying  with  the  commission  entrusted  to  me  by  you,  as 
outlined  in  your  letter  of  January  26th,  1910,  I  have  the  honor 
to  present  herewith  the  data  which  have  been  collected  and  such 
conclusions  and  recommendations  as  can  be  reached  at  this  time 
in  connection  with  the  local  passenger  transportation  problem 
of  the  Pittsburgh  District. 

In  this  report  I  have  confined  myself  almost  entirely  to  the 
surface  system  because,  in  my  opinion,  Pittsburgh's  immediate 
transit  needs  can  and  should  be  supplied  mainly  by  the  present 
street  railway  system,  although  a  preliminary  report  on  Rapid 
Transit  will  be  found  in  connection  with  the  discussion  of  future 
developments.  This  was  prepared  in  order  to  meet  the  subway 
situation  which  arose  during  the  preparation  of  this  report. 

In  determining  the  future  needs  of  the  surface  system,  I 
have  made  an  analysis  covering  the  record  of  earnings,  the 
operating  expenses  and  the  service  supplied  by  The  Pittsburgh 
Railways  Company  during  the  past  eight  years,  or  in  other  words, 
since  its  organization  as  an  operating  company  in  charge  of  the 
combined  railways  of  the  Pittsburgh  District. 

I  have  not  attempted  to  show  in  detail,  either  the  corporate 
history  of  the  inter-relationships  between  the  various  underlying 
companies  forming  the  system  (this  information  would  itself  fill 
volumes),  nor  the  distribution  of  "fixed  charges'*  in  the  form  of 
guaranteed  rentals  and  interest  on  funded  debt.  Official  schedules 
on  either  of  these  subjects  have  not  been  available. 

Whether  or  not  these  fixed  charges  are  excessive — either  in 
whole  or  in  part,  can  only  be  determined  definitely  by  making 
an  appraisal  of  the  existing  physical  property,  (with  proper  allow- 
ances for  development  expenses) ;  but  as  the  making  of  such  an 
appraisal  would  entail  considerable  time  and  expense,  I  would 
not  advise  it  until  such  time  as  the  results  may  be  used  officially. 
To  determine  whether  or  not  the  present  railway  service  is 
adequate,  in  the  absence  of  such  an  appraisal,  the  method  to  be 
followed,  is  to  compare  the  system  as  at  present  operated  with 


IP 


VIII    THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM. 

its  own  previous  record  and  then  with  similar  results  obtained  by 
electric  railways  in  other  metropolitan  districts.  This  has  been 
done  and  the  record  presented  shows  not  only  the  prospects  of 
the  Pittsburgh  system  at  the  time  of  organization,  but  also  the 
decrease  in  the  expected  earnings  due  to  business  depressions, 
the  expansion  of  the  system  into  non-paying  temtory,  the  m- 
crease  in  cost  of  operation,  and  finally  the  constantly  growing 
deficit  due  to  the  cumulative  effects  of  the  various  causes  discussed 
in  detail.  The  comparative  records  of  the  traction  systems  in 
nearly  all  the  large  American  cities  are  presented  both  in  tabular 

and  also  graphical  form.  _ 

The  increasing  demands  and  the  opportunities  for  further 
traction  development  in  the  Pittsburgh  District  have  been  shown 
and  the  necessity  of  a  comprehensive  plan  for  rehabihtation,  bet- 
terments, extensions,  re-routing  and  publicity  has  been,  in  my 

opinion,  fully  demonstrated.  i.       u        i.- 

The  benefits  of  having  one  operating  system  for  the  entire 
District  is  emphasized  in  the  report  and  the  suggestion  offered 
that  the  internal  affairs  of  the  Company  should  be  arranged  in 
such  a  way  as  to  remove  the  present  excessive  financial  burdens 
and  make  it  possible  for  the  company  to  furnish  the  Distnct 
with  continuous  adequate  service. 

In  discussing  the  immediate  needs  of  the  situation  an  effort 
has  been  made  to  show  the  causes  of  the  present  apparent  lack 
of  progress  in  eliminating  defects  by  sketching  bnefiy  the  history 
of  the  system  from  viewpoint  of  both  the  City  and  of  the  Com- 
pany. Both  parties  to  the  present  arrangement  have  made  sen- 
ous  mistakes  in  the  past  and  the  result  is  disappointment  and  dis- 
satisfaction.  The  improvements  that  can  be  made  at  once  are 
indicated,  but  the  one  comprehensive  remedy  which  is  pointed 
out  in  nearly  every  chapter  of  the  report  is  Public  Control  so  as 
to  secure  adequate  service  and  at  the  same  time  a  protected 
investment.  The  benefits  which  will  accrue  from  such  a  control 
to  the  Company,  the  City  and  the  District  are  emphasized. 

The  progress  of  public  opinion  in  other  commumties  where 
transpori:ation  problems  have  reached  a  crisis  is  referred  to,  and 
in  the  appendix  some  of  the  ' 'settlement' '  ordinances  are  bnefiy 

digested  and  compared. 

The  conclusions  in  regard  to  rapid  transit  are  more  or 
less  tentative,  and  must  necessarily  remain  in  that  condition 
pending  developments.  The  building  of  subways  in  Pittsburgh 
will  probably  depend  upon  the  attitude  of  private  capital  toward 
financing  the  enterprise  under  the  restrictions  of  an  indeterminate 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL 


IX 


franchise  with  the  right  of  ultimate  purchase  by  the  City,  and  also 
upon  what  co-operative  arrangement  can  be  worked  out  between 
the  subway  system,  the  electrified  steam  roads  and  the  surface 
trolley  system,  so  as  to  handle  the  trafl&c  of  the  District  without 
destructive  competition  and  therefore  without  duplication  of 
equipment  and  investment.  The  conclusion  is  reached  that 
eventually  the  City  must  have  the  power  to  purchase  or  build 
subways  with  its  own  money. 

The  electrification  of  steam  lines  is  referred  to  only  briefly 
as  it  seems  best  to  first  submit  this  report  upon  the  street  railway 
system,  giving  the  steam  roads  sufficient  time  to  furnish  the  neces- 
sary information  upon  which  to  base  sound  conclusions. 

I  have  outlined  at  the  end  of  the  chapter  on  Pittsburgh's 
Immediate  Transit  Needs  a  suggestion  for  a  definite  transit  policy, 
which  will,  in  my  opinion,  tend  toward  securing  a  comprehensive 
transportation  system  for  the  entire  District.  This  policy  starts 
with  concessions  on  the  part  of  both  the  City  and  the  Company — 
includes  co-operation  in  working  out  further  problems — and  ends 
with  ultimate  complete  public  control  of  the  entire  transit  situ- 
ation. The  importance  of  a  central  control  to  the  progress  of 
the  District  is  demonstrated  and  the  benefits  which  the  present 
company  would  derive  from  a  protected  investment,  are  made 
plain. 

This  program  necessarily  involves  legal  and  financial  devel- 
opments which  must  be  worked  out  simultaneous  with  the  tech- 
nical problems,  and  therefore  reference  has  been  made  to 
certain  legal  and  financial  arrangements  which  have  been  found 
practical  elsewhere — ^particularly  in  Chicago  and  Cleveland — ^in 
connection  with  transit  situations  similar  to  the  one  now  con- 
fronting Pittsburgh,  so  far  as  the  service  and  equipment  is  con- 
cerned. 

I  wish  to  acknowledge  the  co-operation  of  Mr.  James  D. 
Callery,  President,  and  other  officers  of  the  Pittsburgh  Railways 
Company  in  placing  at  my  disposal  the  information  shown  by  the 
records  and  by  some  of  the  graphical  charts,  which  I  have  made 
from  the  figures  supplied  to  me. 

I  trust  that  the  information  in  this  report  has  been  put  in 
such  form  that  it  will  contribute  to  a  more  complete  understand- 
ing of  the  transportation  problem  of  the  Pittsburgh  District. 

Respectfully  submitted, 


Consulting  Engineer. 


RELIEF  MAP  OF  STREET  RAILWAY  SYSTEM  IN  PITTSBURGH  AND  VICINITY. 

This  is  a  photographic  reproduction  of  a  model  showing  both  the  location  and  eUivation  of  the  various  routes  comprising  the  street  railway  tracks  of  the  Pittsburgh 
Railway  Company.  The  map  is  laid  out  on  a  horizontal  scale  of  2000  feet  to  the  inch,  and  the  elevations  on  a  vertical  scale  of  200  feet  to  the  inch  (measured  above  normal  river 
level).  From  this  photograph  the  elevations  can  only  be  judged  in  perspective.  It  will,  ipwever,  be  apparent  at  a  glance  that  transportation  over  the  streets  of  Pittsburgh  is 
accomplished  with  unusual  difficulties.  As  the  great  majority  of  passenger  traffic  centerMn  the  low  lying  '*Point  District,"  nearly  every  line  reaching  the  suburbs  is  obliged  to 
ascend  heavy  grades,  with  the  exception  of  the  Second  Avenue  line  to  Homestead,  the  Pe^  Avenue  and  Butler  Street  line  to  Aspinwall,  and  the  West  Carson  Street  line  to  Mc- 
Kees  Rocks.  Pittsburgh's  most  direct  line  to  the  East  End — via  Center  Avenue — is  himfcapped  by  one  of  the  worst  hills,  likewise  the  Federal  Street- Perrysville  Avenue  line  to 
Riverview  Park  district.  The  low  level  tunnel  under  Mt.  Washington  has  evidently  beenCf  the  greatest  benefit  in  reaching  the  South  Hills  suburban  district  and  providinff 
venient  interurban  connections  to  the  towns  South  of  Pittsburgh.  \ 


providing  con- 


INTENTIONAL  SECOND  EXPOSURE 


I 


RELIEF  MAP  OF  STREET  RAILWAY  SYSTEM  IN   PITTSBURGH  AND  VICINITY. 

This  is  a  photographic  reproduction  of  a  model  showing  both  the  location  and  elevation  of  the  various  routes  comprising  the  street  railway  tracks  of  the  Pittsburgh 
Railway  Company.  The  map  is  laid  out  on  a  horizontal  scale  of  2000  feet  to  the  inch,  and  the  elevations  on  a  vertical  scale  of  200  feet  to  the  inch  (measured  above  normal  river 
level).  From  this  photograph  the  elevations  can  only  be  judged  in  perspective.  It  will,  lowever,  be  apparent  at  a  glance  that  transportation  over  the  streets  of  Pittsburgh  is 
accomplished  with  unusual  difficulties.  As  the  great  majority  of  passenger  traffic  centerJ  m  the  low  lying  Point  District,"  nearly  every  line  reaching  the  suburbs  is  obliged  to 
ascend  heavy  grades,  with  the  exception  of  the  Second  Avenue  line  to  Homestead,  the  Fein  Avenue  and  Butler  Street  line  to  Aspinwall,  and  the  West  Carson  Street  line  to  Mc- 
Kees  Rocks.  Pittsburgh's  most  direct  line  to  the  East  End— via  Center  Avenue— is  Inndcapped  by  one  of  the  worst  hills,  likewise  the  Federal  Street- Perrysville  Avenue  line  to 
Riverview  Park  district^  The  low  level  tunnel  under  Mt.  Washington  has  evidently  b-en  ot  the  greatest  benefit  in  reaching  the  South  Hills  suburban  district  and  providing  con- 
venient interurban  connections  to  the  towns  South  of  Pittsburgh. 


.^.4:>«-^-  :    <*■*•'* ■'*"r7W»C^^- 


SUMMARY  OF  REPORT. 


For  the  purpose  of  directing  attention  to  the  most  important 
aspects  of  the  Transportation  Problem  of  the  Pittsburgh  District 
and  in  order  to  enable  one  to  get  a  comprehensive  idea  of  the 
problem  without  being  required  to  read  the  entire  report  the 
following  summary  has  been  prepared.  The  subject  has  been 
subdivided  in  this  summary  as  follows: 

1st.     Immediate  Surface  Railway  Improvements. 

(a)  Regulation  of  Street  Traffic. 

(b)  Control  of  Steam  Road  Crossings. 

(c)  Maintaining  of  Schedules. 

(d)  Installation  of  Automatic  Switches. 

(e)  Operation  of  More  Cars  and  Larger  Cars. 

(f)  Proper  Heating,  Ventilation  and  Lighting  of  the  Cars. 

(g)  Installation  of  Improved  Rail  and  Pavement, 
(h)  Increasing  Clearances  between  Cars  and  Curb, 
(i)  Widening  Smithfield  Street  Bridge. 

(j)  Separating  Grades  of  Trolley  and  Steam  Roads  Tracks. 


2nd. 


(a) 
(b) 
(c) 
(d) 
(e) 

3rd. 


(a) 

(b) 


(0 


Future  Surface  Railway  Improvements, 

including  a  reorganization  of  the  present  system  which 
should  provide  for: 

Rehabilitation. 

Improvements  and  Extensions. 

Future  Renewals  out  of  Earnings. 

Re-routing. 

Adequate  Service. 

Future  "Rapid  Transit''  Developments 

which    should  provide  for: 

Subways  under  the  streets  of  the  business  district  with 
branches  under  the  rivers  and  through  the  hills. 

Electrification  of  the  major  steam  suburban  lines, 
using  the  subway  system  as  a  downtown  distribut- 
ing terminal  and  as  a  connecting  link  between  all 
radiating  lines. 

A  system  of  transfers  between  the  surface  and  the 
rapid  transit  lines. 


THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM. 


4th.     Legal  Developments, 

which  should  provide  by  means  of  Court  Decisions 

or  by  Legislation  for: 

(a)  Reorganization  of  the  present  surface  system  on  a 

basis  of  a  fair  return  upon  the  actual  value  of  the 
properties. 

(b)  Control,  by  Commission,  Board,  or  otherwise,  of  the 

financial  arrangements,  technical  details  of  construc- 
tion and  operation,  service  supplied  and  records 
of  results  along  lines  now  being  demonstrated  in  the 
States  of  Wisconsin,  Massachusetts  and  New  York, 
and  in  the  Cities  of  Chicago  and  Cleveland. 

(c)  City's  right  to  issue  self-supporting  bonds,  independ- 

ent of  the  debt  limit  for  the  construction  or  purchase 
oj  Subways.  In  order  to  always  insure  adequate 
service  by  private  operation  the  City  should  secure 
the  right  to  purchase  the  surface  system  even 
though  this  right  may  never  be  exercised. 

L     IMMEDIATE  SURFACE  RAILWAY  IMPROVEMENTS. 

The  immediate  needs  of  transportation  in  the  Pittsburgh 
District  have  been  covered  by  several  reports  during  the  past 
two  years  and  definite  recommendations  have  been  made  by  the 
State  Railroad  Commission.  It  is  not  intended  that  this  report 
shall  discuss  these  findings  in  detail,  as  the  attention  of  the  City 
and  the  Railway  officials  has  already  been  called  to  these  improve- 
ments which  should  be  made  immediately  without  waiting  for 
a  complete  solution  of  the  larger  problems. 

Whatever  the  outcome  of  the  reorganization  and  regulation 
of  the  present  surface  system,  there  should  be  no  delay  in  arrang- 
ing for  proper  maintenance  of  the  cars  and  tracks,  for  addi- 
tional larger  cars,  for  improved  and  maintained  schedules  and  for 
proper  heating,  ventilation  and  lighting  of  the  cars.  The  City 
and  the  Railways  Company  should  give  their  unremitting  efforts 
towards  widening  the  Smithfield  Street  bridge  and  the  elimination 
of  dangerous  grade  crossings,  for  there  are  no  good  reasons 
why  these  enterprises  should  remain  inactive  pending  the  devel- 
opment of  future  policies.  The  question  of  more  cars,  better 
tracks,  improved  schedules  and  the  widening  of  Smithfield  Street 
bridge  should  be  followed  up  with  vigor,  and  although  the  neces- 
sity may  arise  for  the  City  and  the  Company  to  defend  their 
various  rights  in  the  courts,  this  legal  attitude  should  not  inter- 
fere with  the  establishing  of  a  policy  of  Co-operation  and  Publicity 


SUMMARY 


upon  which  future  progress  must  depend  for  the  mutual  advan- 
tage of  all  concerned.  Actual  facts  should  hurt  no  one  and  what  is 
wanted  is  more  of  them  so  that  the  present  atmosphere  of  sus- 
picion can  be  removed  by  an  era  of  actual  knowledge. 

• 

II.    FUTURE  SURFACE  RAILWAY  IMPROVEMENTS. 

The  future  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  Pittsburgh  District 
depends  in  a  large  measure  upon  the  development  of  the  surface 
trolley  system  and  this  report  has  been  confined  largely  to  a 
discussion  of  the  elements  of  this  part  of  the  traction  problem 
and  its  solution. 

As  pointed  out  in  various  parts  of  the  report,  the  future  of 
this  surface  system  depends  upon  the  sufficiency  of  the  plans 
for  rehabilitation,  improvements,  renewals  and  adequate  service 
and  whether  or  not  such  plans  are  carried  out  consistently. 

Rehabilitation. 

Many  miles  of  the  tracks  of  the  system  are  in  a  bad 
condition  and  the  paving  is  so  dilapidated  in  frequent  places  as 
to  be  a  serious  impediment  to  vehicle  traffic.  The  condition  of 
Pittsburgh's  streets  along  the  car  track  lines  is  a  serious  reflection 
on  the  City,  and  one  which  neither  the  City  nor  the  Railways 
Company  can  afford  to  tolerate. 

Some  of  the  cars  listed  by  the  Company  are  rapidly  becom- 
ing worn  out  and  obsolete  in  style,  while  some  of  the  power  plant 
equipment  still  used  is  so  inefficient  as  compared  to  more  modern 
types  that  the  continued  use  of  this  type  of  power  station  cannot 
be  justified.  Car  houses  and  repair  shop  facilities  are  inadequate 
on  some  divisions  of  the  system,  and  wooden  trestles  and  bridges 
must  soon  be  replaced  by  more  permanent  structures.  Overhead 
construction  needs  replacing  and  feeder  wire  should  be  put  in 
conduit  in  the  underground  district.  Millions  of  dollars  could 
be  spent  to  good  advantage  at  once  in  the  general  rehabilitation 
of  the  property. 

Improvements  and  Extensions. 

The  advances  made  in  the  art  and  the  constantly  growing 
demands  of  increasing  business  indicate  that  new  capital  must 
he  continuously  available  for  betterments  and  extensions.  Ex- 
perience in  Pittsburgh  and  in  other  American  cities  demonstrates 


I 

i 


THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM. 


that  when  the  population  is  increased  by  50%,  that  the  earnings 
from  transportation  more  than  double;  that  is,  the  demand  for 
transportation  increases  much  more  rapidly  than  the  growth  in 
population.  This  demand  can  be  cultivated  by  making  it  easy 
to  ride,  in  the  same  way  that  the  telephone  business  has  been 
built  up,  by  making  it  convenient  to  use  telephones.  But  this 
conception  means  a  constant  series  oj  improvements.  In  the 
Pittsburgh  District,  an  expenditure  of  at  least  $2,500,000  new 
money  for  betterments  would  be  justified  each  year,  and  if  this 
new  money  is  not  provided  the  City  and  the  District  will  be 
handicapped  in  their  growth  and  prosperity  as  compared  with 
other  cities  more  fortunate  in  their  traction  arrangements. 

Decided  improvement  should  be  made  in  the  form  of  track 
construction.  A  substantial  sub-base  should  be  provided,  and 
this  should  be  drained  when  conditions  indicate  danger  from 
subsurface  water.  The  paving  should  be  laid  so  as  to  present  a 
practically  waterproof  surface,  and  should  have  frequent  sewer 
connections  for  the  removal  of  rain  and  excess  sprinkler  water. 

Certain  extensions  and  changes  in  the  tracks  must  naturally 
be  the  result  of  a  thorough  re-routing  of  the  system.  Car  houses, 
in  some  cases,  should  be  relocated  and  improved  repair  facilities 
must  be  provided  for  the  larger  steel  constructed  cars,  which 
should  eventually  replace  the  small  single  truck  wooden  equip- 
ment now  used  on  many  of  the  lines. 

Experience  is  showing  that  the  best  way  to  avoid  electrolysis 
is  by  means  of  an  adequate  return  circuit  and  electrically  con- 
nected rail  joints  of  a  current  carrying  capacity  fully  equal  to 
the  rail  itself. 

A  long  catalogue  of  defects  which  should  be  remedied,  and 
of  improvements  in  the  system  which  should  be  effected,  could 
be  prepared,  but  until  the  financial  part  of  the  program  has  been 
determined  upon,  a  detailed  list  of  requirements  will  be  of  little 
use. 

Depreciation  and  Renewals. 

Depreciation,  like  interest,  works  every  hour  of  every  day, 
and  with  a  street  railway  property,  at  a  rate  on  the  whole  value 
of  the  property  of  about  half  the  present  interest  rate.  In  making 
the  combinations  which  resulted  in  the  system  now  operated  by  the 
Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  abundant  attention  was  given 
to  the  question  of  a  return  on  the  investment  in  the  shape  of 
interest  and  guaranteed  dividends,  but  apparently  no  provision 
was  made  for  taking  care  of  that  equally  important  item— depre- 


SUMMARY 


elation.  The  result  is— a  property  which  is  now  ready  for  re- 
newal in  many  of  its  parts,  and  neither  the  lessors  nor  lessees 
seem  to  be  prepared  to  assume  the  burden  of  replacement  cost. 
But  whatever  the  method  devised  for  taking  care  of  cumulative 
or  past  depreciation,  there  should  be  adequate  provisions  in  the 
future  program  for  handUng  the  property  to  take  care  of  current 
and  future  obsolescence  and  the  other  forms  of  deterioration 
which  cannot  be  offset  by  ordinary  maintenance  and  regular 
upkeep. 

Re-Routing  and  Improved  Schedules. 

'  -The  question  of  transfers,  through  routes,  downtown  loops, 
terminal  facilities,  location  of  car  houses,  use  of  trailers,  and  the 
equitable  distribution  of  cars  over  the  various  divisions  to  take 
care  of  the  constantly  shifting  demands  for  service,  are  all  im- 
portant questions  which  need  extensive  study  and  can  be  best 
settled  in  a  spirit  of  co-operation  between  the  City  and  the 
Company.  Preceeding  final  decision  on  these  questions  however, 
there  should  be  a  definite  settlement  of  the  question  of  what 
proportion  of  the  income  from  passenger  earnings  is  to  be  returned 
to  the  system  in  the  form  of  operating  expenses  to  provide 
service.  The  determination  of  this  question  would  allow  the 
settlement  of  the  other  problems  on  a  reasonable  basis  which 
could  be  maintained  even  if  the  original  conditions  are  altered. 

Adequate  Service. 

The  requirement  of  adequate  service  has  been  mentioned  last, 
but  in  reality  it  is  first  in  importance.  Above  all  else  the  whole 
transportation  arrangement  should  be  devised  to  provide  ''ade- 
quate service",  for  the  growth  of  the  community  depends  upon 
convenient  inter-communication  between  all  its  parts.  Just 
what  constitutes  adequate  service  is  not  easy  to  define.  The 
actual  service  supplied  is  necessarily  affected  by  the  amount  of 
the  investment,  the  rate  of  return  on  this  investment,  and  the 
cost  of  operation  including  renewals.  If  all  these  factors  are 
accurately  known,  then  adequate  service  might  be  defined  in 
terms  of  the  income  or  fare,  that  is,  a  given  fare  would  mean  a  cor- 
responding service;— raise  this  rate  of  fare  and  the  service  could 
be  improved.  But  to  reach  a  conclusion  as  to  adequate  service 
by  this  method,  means  first— an  official  appraisal  as  to  the  value 
of  the  property,  both  of  its  "cost  to  reproduce"  and  the  depre- 
ciated or  ''present  value,"  second— an  official  decision  as  to  the  rate 


THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM. 


I 


1 


of  return  to  be  allowed  on  this  value  as  well  as  upon  all  new  capital 
required  for  rehabilitating  the  property,  and  for  extensions  and 
for  betterments,  and  third— some  system  of  public  record  which 
will  make  it  possible  for  an  authorized  check  to  be  made  upon  the 
cost  of  the  property,  the  service  suppHed  and  the  cost  of  operation 
from  time  to  time.  Such  an  arrangement  has  been  the  result  of  the 
''settlement"  in  Chicago  and  in  Cleveland,  and  a  similar  state  of 
affairs  exists  in  Boston,  where  the  State  Railroad  Commission 
has  supervision  over  the  operation  of  the  railways.  In  Pitts- 
burgh, however,  where  no  system  of  direct  pubHc  supervision  exists, 
the  only  answer  that  may  be  given  at  present  to  the  questions 
''how  much  service  can  the  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  afford 
to  give  under  the  present  conditions?"  is  to  compare  the  results 
of  operation  in  Pittsburgh  with  the  results  for  those  cities  where 
some  form  of  regulation  exists.  Such  a  comparison  shows  the 
relative  proportion  of  income  that  is  returned  to  the  riders 
in  the  form  of  operating  expenses  or  the  equivalent  of  service  as 
follows : 

Operating  Expenses  in  Percent  of  Income. 

Operating  Expenses  Not 
Including  Taxes  or 
Depreciation 

Boston 66.76% 

Chicago 63.20% 

Pittsburgh 59.92% 

According  to  these  figures,  the  riders  in  Pittsburgh  are 
getting  back  60%^  of  their  nickel,  or  three  cents  out  of  every  five 
in  the  form  of  service,  while  the  Chicago  rider  gets  63%,  which 
is  5%)  more  than  Pittsburgh's  rate,  and  the  patrons  of  the  Boston 
system  get  66 %o,  which  is  ll%o  better  than  in  Pittsburgh.  Look- 
ing at  it  from  another  standpoint,  that  of  the  relative  returns  to 
the  Company,  the  record  is  as  follows: 

Company's  Share  in  Percent  of  Income. 

Fixed  Charges,  Dividends 
AND  Surplus 

Boston 25.82% 

Chicago 23.92% 

Pittsburgh 32.63% 

Deficit 13.21%  45.84% 

These  figures  show  that  in  Boston  and  Chicago,  the  proper- 
ties are  financed  with  a  return  on  the  investment  equal  in  amount 
to  an  average  of  about  25%  of  the  income.  The  demands  of 
the  financial  plan  of  the  Pittsburgh  system  are  that  45.84  %o  of  the 

NoTE.-The  percentages  in  the  two  tables  will  not  add  up  to  100%  for  each  ci  y,  as  the 
first  table  does  not  include  percentages  for  taxes  and  depreciation. 


SUMMARY  7 

income  be  taken  for  ''fixed  charges",  although  the  actual  amount 
available  out  of  last  year's  earnings  was  about  32.6%  leaving  a 
"deficit"  of  13.21%).  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  "fixed  charge" 
agreements  with  the  Pittsburgh  system  are  a  serious  handicap 
in  securing  adequate  service  in  the  Pittsburgh  District. 

Financial  Requirements. 

The  financial  requirements  of  the  Surface  System  which  are 
of  the  first  importance  may  be  recapitulated  as  follows: 

1st— To  procure  sufficient  funds  for  rehabilitation  in  order 
to  offset  past  depreciation.  This  rehabilitation  must  be  accom- 
plished without  increasing  the  amount  oj  the  present  capital. 

2nd— To  provide  an  adequate  renewal  fund  for  current 
and  future  depreciation  out  of  earnings. 

3rd— -To  secure  and  protect  new  capital  for  present  and  for 
future  betterments  and  extensions.  This  capital  should  be  forth- 
coming from  time  to  time  to  provide  for  constantly  growing 
transportation  needs  and  should  be  available  somewhat  in  ad- 
vance of  actual  demands  for  increased  service. 

The  above  financial  requirements  for  a  successful  transpor- 
tation system  are  not  theoretical,  as  the  financial  necessities  of 
the  Pittsburgh  system  are  not  different  from  those  of  other 
electric  railway  systems  where  the  above  requirements  and  ar- 
rangements have  been  found  advisable  and  practicable. 

In  Chicago,  the  solution  has  been  worked  out  to  meet  the 
above  requirements,  but  in  doing  so,  a  complete  financial  reor- 
ganization of  the  surface  traction  companies  was  necessary.  An 
appraisal  was  made,  estabhshing  the  actual  depreciated  value  of 
the  property,  and  ordinances  which  were  passed  nearly  four  years 
ago  provide  that  (a)  70%  of  the  passenger  earnings  shall  be  set 
aside  during  each  of  the  first  three  years  (the  agreed  period  of 
rehabilitation)  for  furnishing  service,  paying  taxes  and  taking 
care  of  maintenance  and  depreciation,  (b)  from  the  remaining  net 
earnings,  an  amount  is  set  aside  to  pay  interest  at  the  rate  of  5% 
on  the  agreed  appraised  value  of  the  property  as  well  as  upon  all 
amounts  spent  for  rehabilitation,  betterments  and  extensions,  all 
as  passed  upon  by  a  Board  of  Super\dsing  Engineers,  and  (c)  a 
division  of  the  remaining  net  earnings  is  made  on  the  basis  of 
55%;  to  the  City  and  45%  to  the  Company.  This  55%  is  re- 
served by  the  City  in  a  special  fund,  which  is  to  be  used  exclu- 
sively for  future  traction  developments. 


I 


8       THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM. 


SUMMARY 


m  , 


The  Chicago  ordinances  therefore  fully  comply  with  the 
above  financial  requirements,  and  the  result  of  the  operation 
under  the  reorganized  arrangement  is  better  service  with  a  re- 
habilitated and  improved  system,  and  at  the  same  time  a  fair 
return  to  the  railway  companies  on  their  actual  investment. 
During  the  past  three  and  one-half  years  about  $55,000,000  has 
been  spent  in  rehabilitation  and  betterments  of  the  surface  rail- 
way system  in  Chicago,  and  the  City's  share  of  the  earnings  during 
this  time  has  amounted  to  about  $5,000,000. 

In  Neiv  York  the  efforts  to  establish  the  surface  traction 
system  on  a  substantial  basis  has  resulted  in  receiverships  for  the 
more  important  companies,  and  the  properties  are  now  being 
largely  rehabilitated  out  of  earnings  at  the  expense  of  interest 
and  dividend  obhgations,  but  the  questions  of  the  protection  of 
future  capital  and  the  depreciation  fund  for  renewals  are  still 
to  be  determined.  However  the  orders  of  the  Public  Service 
Commission  place  adequate  service  ahead  of  all  other  requirements. 

In  Cleveland  the  new  traction  ordinances  involved  a  valua- 
tion of  the  surface  railways  and  a  6%  return  on  this  valuation, 
and  an  effort  is  being  made  to  operate  for  a  fare  lower  than  five 
cents.  The  outcome,  however,  is  still  in  doubt.  Service,  in 
Cleveland,  is  said  to  be  still  unsatisfactory,  extensions  have  not 
been  definitely  provided  for  and  requirements  for  depreciation 
are  apparently  still  to  be  determined. 

Difficulties  in  Pittsburgh. 

In  Pittsburgh,  the  difficulties  to  be  overcome  before  a  logical, 
financial  program  can  be  complied  with  are  many,  including  the 
following: 

(a)  The  Leases.  A  large  number  of  the  underlying  proper- 
ties were  brought  into  the  present  traction  system  at  a  time  when 
the  earnings  were  increasing  at  a  remarkable  rate,  and  at  the  same 
time  the  expenses  of  operation  were  lower  than  at  present,  or 
perhaps  had  been  reduced  purposely  to  make  a  good  showing. 
In  addition,  the  present  holders  of  the  property  were  very  desir- 
ous of  securing  monopoly  control  of  the  traction  situation.  The 
result  was  that  the  guaranteed  rentals  on  a  large  part  of  the  hold- 
ings were  much  higher  than  they  would  have  been  if  the  leases 
had  been  executed  with  the  present  day  knowledge  of  the  actual 
situation. 

(b)  Reneivals  unprovided  for.  At  the  time  the  combina- 
tion was  made,  the  practice  was  in  vogue  of  charging  all  renewals 
to  capital  account,  in  other  words,  depending  on  appreciation  to 


( 


/ 


/ 


I 


take  care  of  depreciation.  It  has  been  since  demonstrated  that 
earnings  have  not  increased. at  a  rate  sufficiently  rapid  to  take 
care  of  increased  service  as  well  as  constantly  increasing  cost  of 
operation  and  the  demands  of  a  pyramided  capital  account. 
The  fact  that  only  a  miall  part  oj  the  necessary  renewals  have  been 
provided  for  out  of  earnings  in  the  financial  accounting  of  the 
company  is  the  fundamental  defect  of  the  system. 

To  correct  this  defect  and  at  the  same  time  meet  the 
demands  for  adequate  service  and  new  capital  for  improve- 
ments, is  the  main  financial  problem.  Experience  with  other 
properties  would  indicate  that  if  new  capital  is  to  be  used  for  re- 
habilitation, then  the  old  capital  account  must  be  reduced  by 
an  equal  or  even  larger  amount,  or  if  the  future  earnings  are  to 
be  called  upon  to  supply  funds  for  past  depreciation,  then  the 
future  return  on  the  present  actual  investment  in  the  property  must 
be  reduced  by  a  corresponding  amount.  In  other  words,  if  a  reor- 
ganization with  a  reduced  capital  is  impracticable,  then  future 
dividends  must  be  sacrificed  or  reduced  until  the  property  is  brought 
up  to  full  normal  operating  efficiency,  and  the  profits  at  one  time 
expected  in  addition  to  actual  interest  requirements  must  be  deferred 
until  the  density  of  traffic  considerably  increases. 

The  old  order  of  financial  requirements  during  the  promotion 
period  was— 1,  Profit,— 2,  Service— 3,  Maintenance  with  no 
provision  for  Depreciation.  The  new  order  for  established*  public 
properties  should  be— 1,  Adequate  service— 2,  Maintenance  and 
renewals — ^3,  Interest  on  actual  present  investment — 4, 
Protection  for  new  capital  and— 5,  Profit.  But  before  this 
order  can  be  established,  the  problem  of  what  to  do  with  past 
depreciation  must  be  solved.  To  do  this,  the  first  effort  must 
be  to  have  the  actual  owners  of  the  property  provide  the  money 
for  rehabilitation  either  by  advancing  it  out  of  past  profits  or  by 
agreeing  to  reduce  dividends  in  the  future  until  the  rehabilitation 
fund  is  provided.  If  neither  of  these  plans  are  practicable,  then 
the  property  should  be  reorganized  starting  with  its  present 
depreciated  value  and  adding  to  this  value,  the  amount  necessary 
to  rehabilitate  the  property  with  suitable  provisions  for  mainte- 
nance, renewals  and  extensions. 

(c)  The  Holding  Companies.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the 
Pittsburgh  Railw^ays  Company  would  have  failed  long  ago  in 
carrying  its  burden  of  fixed  charges  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  hold- 
ing company.  The  Philadelphia  Company  and  the  holding  com- 

♦That  is  a  property  which  is  in  operation  and  has  demonstrated  its  ability,  to  ^ve  adequate 
service  and  earn  reasonable  fixed  charges  upon  a  fair  valuation. 


t- 


!l 


p.; 


10       THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM. 


pany  to  the  holding  Company,  The  United  Railways  Investment 
Company.  A  large  part  of  the  stock  of  the  Pittsburgh  Railways 
Company  and  of  the  underlying  companies  comprising  the 
system  which  it  operates,  is  owned  by  The  Philadelphia  Company, 
which  also  owns  valuable  gas  and  electric  properties  in  Pittsburgh 
that  are  apparently  on  a  paying  basis.  The  result  is  that  the  de- 
ficit of  the  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  is  carried  as  a  floating 
debt  by  its  parent  company,  the  Philadelphia  Company. 

(d)  Perpetual  Franchises.  Most  of  the  franchises  of  the 
underlying  companies  of  the  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  are 
claimed  to  be  practically  perpetual,  in  other  words,  there  is  no 
period  of  expiring  franchises  to  be  anticipated  at  which  time  new 
arrangements  could  be  entered  into  that  would  include  require- 
ments for  adequate  service,  public  control  and  provisions  for  re- 
newals out  of  earnings,  which  more  mature  public  opinion  will 
demand.  In  the  meantime  the  Companies  justify  their  capitaliza- 
tion at  a  figure  considerable  in  excess  of  the  actual  physical  value 
of  the  property  including  reasonable  development  expenses  by 
the  value  of  their  perpetual  franchises.  To  defend  this  position, 
they  must  naturally  deny  the  right  of  the  community  to  regulate 
its  service,  to  fix  the  fare  or  to  demand  transfers.  Public  opinion 
and  legislation  has  not  yet  progressed  far  enough  in  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania  to  definitely  secure  for  the  local  community  the  right 
of  public  control  of  service,  of  rates  and  records,  and  therefore 
the  traction  situation  in  Pittsburgh  is  still  complicated  by  the 
* 'rights"  of  perpetual  franchises. 

A  Reorganized  Surface  System. 

The  Surjace  System  will  continue  to  be  unsatisfactory  in 
its  operation  until  the  present  leases  are  cancelled  and  the  various 
properties  reorganized  into  one  system  on  the  basis  of  their 
actual  present  value.  Money  to  rehabilitate  can  then  be  invested 
on  the  same  basis  as  capital  for  betterments  and  extensions  and 
all  actual  investments  can  be  assured  a  fair  rate  of  return.  Future 
depreciation  can  be  taken  care  of  by  an  equitable  division  of 
income  between  the  requirements  of  service,  maintenance,  re- 
newals, damages,  taxes,  interest  and  profit.  To  maintain  such 
a  balance,  a  competent  regulating  body  will  be  found  necessary 
to  determine  standards  of  construction  and  equipment,  to  con- 
trol and  check  expenditures  and  to  regulate  service.  Until  the 
Railways  Company,  the  City  officials  and  the  citizens  of  the 
Pittsburgh  District  have  succeeded  in  working  out  some  such 
equitable  balance,     le  surface  railway  situation  will  continue  to 


SUMMARY 


n 


be  unsatisfactory.  Immediate  efforts  should  therefore  he  made  to 
develop  a  comprehensive  program  for  reorganization,  for  rehab- 
ilitation, for  a  protected  actual  investment,  for  adequate  service  and 
for  public  control  of  the  present  surface  system. 

III.  FUTURE  RAPID  TRANSIT  DEVELOPMENTS. 

The  Pittsburgh  District  must  look  for  real  ''rapid  transit" 
from  (a)  the  building  of  subways  and  (b)  the  electrification  of 
the  steam  suburban  lines. 

Elevated  roads  have  been  suggested  for  both  the  operation 
of  the  present  surface  cars  and  as  a  separate  system,  but  as  other 
communities  now  having  elevated  structures  in  their  streets 
are  making  efforts  to  do  away  with  them  in  favor  of  sub-surface 
construction,  it  is  reasonable  to  assume  that  the  future  building 
of  elevated  structures  for  urban  transportation  is  limited,  par- 
ticularly in  downtown  or  congested  sections. 

Subways  in  Pittsburgh. 

Subways,  will  in  the  course  of  time,  become  desirable  and 
even  necessary  in  order  to  relieve  the  congestion  of  cars  from  the 
surface  of  the  downtown  streets,  and  in  order  to  overcome  the 
topographical  disadvantages  of  hills  and  rivers  which  now  divide 
the  city  into  a  number  of  separate  communities.  However  the  advan- 
tages of  a  subway  system  from  the  standpoint  of  'Vapid  transit" 
will  be  but  incidental,  as  the  sub-surface  routes  cannot  be  long.  If 
the  surface  system  is  improved  as  it  should  be,  the  time  required 
for  the  average  ride  on  the  trolley  will  not  be  excessive,  and  the 
fact  that  so  many  home  communities  are  within  thirty  minutes 
by  trolley  of  the  business  district  makes  the  popular  demand  for 
subways  in  Pittsburgh  less  than  in  other  communities  not  so 
favored. 

The  fundamental  need  of  subways  in  Pittsburgh  is  to  provide 
downtown  terminals  for  electric  suburban  systems.  To  secure 
sufficient  capacity  to  justify  the  investment  the  cars  should  be 
run  in  trains,  and  a  transfer  arrangement  should  be  worked  out 
so  as  to  use  the  surface  trolley  system  for  collecting  and  distrib- 
uting passengers  throughout  the  districts  contiguous  to  the  sub- 
way or  other  rapid  transit  routes.  Considerable  study  should  be 
given  to  the  question  of  the  exact  location  of  the  subway  route 
and  its  terminals  before  final  conclusions  are  made. 


12        THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM. 


Pi 


Subways  should  be  built  with  money  secured  at  the  lowest 
possible  interest  rates.  If  private  capital  can  be  interested  in 
a  return  of  5%  and  the  financial  arrangements  can  provide  that 
the  cost  of  the  subway  be  amortized  out  of  earnings  (in  such  a 
way  as  to  eventually  become  the  property  of  the  City  even  at 
the  end  of  a  long  period)  then  the  building  of  a  subway  by  private 
capital  is  not  impossible.  But  if  private  capital  must  have  6% 
interest,  and  to  the  actual  cost  of  construction  must  be  added  any 
considerable  amounts  for  promoters  profits  and  for  development 
expenses,  then  it  will  probably  be  found  better  for  the  City  to 
secure  legislation  which  will  enable  low  interest  bearing  bonds  to 
be  issued  independent  of  the  City's  debt  limit  for  the  purpose  of 
building  a  City-owned  subway  and  thus  relieve  the  subway  of 
excessive  fixed  charges. 

Electrification  of  Steam  Roads. 

Reference  to  the  maps  showing  the  steam  lines  (a)  in 
the  Pittsburgh  District  and  particularly  the  map  indicating  the 
number  of  seats  ib)  in  one  direction  during  one  rush  hour  on  each 
steam  Une  as  compared  to  the  rush  hour  seat  map  {c)  of  the  surface 
trolley  Unes  will  show  that  the  steam  lines  perform  no  incon- 
siderable part  in  the  transportation  of  passengers  in  the  District. 
The  seat  map  (b)  also  discloses  the  fact  that  three  of  the  lines  do 
the  largest  share  of  the  suburban  business  and  all  are  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad  lines. 

An  examination  of  the  ''time  zone"  map  {d)  shows  that,  as 
far  as  time  is  concerned,  the  present  suburban  steam  lines 
are  giving  very  fair  rapid  transit  on  their  express  trains.  The 
drawback  to  this  service,  however,  is  its  comparative  infre- 
quency  and  the  lack  of  convenient  downtown  terminals.  These 
two  disadvantages  can  be  corrected  by  electrifying  the  lines  and 
using  a  subway  route  through  the  business  center,  and  then  the 
present  railroad  locations— allowing  the  operation  of  trains  in 
the  open  air— and  already  serving  the  main  suburban  centers 
of  the  District,  will  be  found  particularly  adapted  for  real  rapid 
transit  purposes. 

A  Comprehensive  Plan. 

The  first  requirement  of  future  rapid  transit  developments 
is  that,  from  beginning  to  end,  each  part  should  fit  into  a  carefully 
designed ,  comprehensive  plan.  As  far  as  can  be  anticipated  at  the 
present  time,  this  general  plan  should  use  the  surface  system  as  a 

a-See  insert,  pagre    86-  87 

b- 86-  87 

c~ 162-163 

d- 86-  87 


SUMMARY 


13 


' 


convenient  collecting  and  distributing  medium  for  short  hauls 
and  the  electrified  steam  lines  and  similar  trunk  lines  for  the 
more  rapid  long  haul  business.  This  will  leave  the  subways  to 
furnish  convenient  terminals  for  preventing  congestion  on 
the  streets  in  the  central  district  and  for  through  connections 
under  the  rivers  to  relieve  the  bridges  and  more  effectively 
unite  the  three  sides  of  the  City.  The  entire  system  should  be 
technically  under  one  control  and  the  transfer  principle  should 
be  made  use  of  to  insure  the  most  efficient  density  of  traffic  for 
each  type  of  transportation. 

IV.     LEGAL  DEVELOPMENTS. 

As  this  report  is  primarily  a  study  of  the  technical  require- 
ments of  the  transit  situation  in  Pittsburgh,  it  is  not  intended  to 
include  more  than  an  outline  of  the  legal  methods  or  program  for 
securing  the  results.  The  task  of  producing  a  comprehensive 
system  includes  technical,  legal  and  financial  problems,  the 
solution  of  which  must  proceed  simultaneously  and  each  may 
be  said  to  be  equally  as  important  as  the  others. 

From  a  legal  view  point,  it  would  seem  that  the  developments 
should  be  (as  near  as  can  be  outlined  in  advance )  along  the  follow- 
ing general  lines : 

First.  In  order  to  prepare  for  and  finally  arrange  a  reorgani- 
zation of  the  present  system  which  will  be  fair  to  both  the  City 
and  the  Company,  a  complete  investigation  should  be  made  into 
the  corporate  history  of  the  present  system,  either  by  the  Secre- 
tary of  Internal  Affairs  or  by  a  properly  authorized  Commission. 
The  record  resulting  from  this  inquiry  should  show  all  the  facts 
as  to  charters,  franchises,  agreements,  leases,  operating  agreements, 
issues  of  stocks  and  bonds,  the  amount  and  distribution  of  earn- 
ings and  all  other  information  that  should  be  a  matter  of  public 
record. 

Court  decisions  should  determine  the  present  status  of  all 
charter  and  franchise  requirements  which  are  not  being  carried 
out  in  regard  to  taxes  on  earnings,  car  licenses,  street  cleaning, 
paving  maintenance,  etc.  In  order  to  prevent  any  decisions  or 
legislation  which  would  tend  toward  confiscation  of  the  property, 
arrangements  should  eventually  be  made  for  an  official  valuation 
of  the  property,  but  this  valuation  should  not  be  made  until  the 
results  can  be  definitely  used  in  a  final  settlement. 


14      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM. 


Second.  In  order  to  secure  for  the  Pittsburgh  District  the 
latest  development  in  connection  with  the  Public  Control  of  Public 
Utilities,  the  Railroad  Commission  Act  should  be  amended  so  as 
to  secure  as  broad  powers  as  have  been  delegated  to  the  Public 
Service  Commissions  of  other  States  covering  the  questions  of 
capitalization,  adequate  service,  rates,  extensions,  transfers, 
routing,  joint  use  of  property,  renewals,  and  standard  systems  of 
records  and  accounts. 

A  Public  Utility  Bureau  of  the  City  should  be  authorized  to 
accumulate  information  and  to  check  the  quality  of  service  sup- 
phed  by  all  public  utility  corporations;  this  information  to  be 
used  as  a  basis  for  improvement  and  future  regulation. 

Third.  With  the  idea  of  equipping  the  present  City  with 
machinery  which  will  enable  it  to  ultimately  have  complete 
control  over  its  transit  facilities,  legislation  should  be  prepared 
and  passed  as  soon  as  practicable  which  will  give  the  City  the 
right  to  issue  self-supporting  bonds,  independent  of  the  debt 
limit  for  the  purpose  of  building  and  operating  or  leasing  subways 
and  other  rapid  transit  facilities. 

The  limits  of  Pittsburgh  should  be  extended  so  as  to 
include  as  much  as  possible  of  the  surrounding  industrial  and 
residence  communities  in  a  way  to  provide  a  centralized  control 
of  all  public  utilities  and  improvements,  and  for  this  Greater 
Pittsburgh,  the  ultimate  right  to  purchase,  build  and  operate  all 
necessary  electric  transportation  systems  should  be  secured  and 
placed  under  the  supervision  of  a  properly  qualified  and 
authorized  Transit  Board. 


THE  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM. 


► 


General  Discussion. 


Outlining  the  general  scope  of  the  problem  presented — The  necessity  of 
considering  individually  the  various  conditions  arising  in  each 
traction  center , — The  desirability  of  a  comprehensive  program 
of  development— The  inter-relations  existing —The  patron — 
The  operator — The  City — The  real  estate  owner — How  financial 
requirements  dictate  a  fair  return  and  a  division  of  burdens, — 
How  a  broad  economic  policy  should  hold  transportation  as 
essentially  a  monopoly  to  avoid  the  evils  of  wasteful  competi- 
tion— Traffic  density  prescribing  type  of  construction — How 
short  haul  and  high  density  reduces  transportation  costs  per 
passenger — Reduction  in  service  resulting  from  excessive  taxa- 
tion— Franchise  values  misunderstood — Depreciation  reserve 
a  necessity — Street  railway  no  longer  a  ''gold  mine"—Rateof 
return  now  on  a  conservative  basis — The  problem  of  finding  an 
equitable  balance — Present  tendencies  toward  basic  physical 
valuation— Extensions  by  assessment — High  standard  of  ser- 
vice—Cheap fares  no  longer  the  greatest  need — Abolition  of 
the  abuse  instead  of  the  use  of  transfers — City  participation 
in  financing  and  returns. 

Pittsburgh's  traction  problem,  like  those  of  other  cities,  can 
not  be  settled  now,  for  all  time  to  come,  on  account  of  the  increas- 
ing demands  which  will  arise  from  time  to  time  under  new  condi- 
tions; but  it  has  been  found  in  other  cities,  that  an  educated 
public  opinion  regarding  transportation  matters  has  assisted 
greatly  toward  adjusting  and  maintaining  the  proper  relation- 
ship between  the  traction  companies  and  the  riding  public.  It 
is  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  out  a  comprehensive  statement  of 
the  entire  problem  before  analyzing  each  element  in  detail,  that 
this  general  discussion,  preceding  the  other  parts  of  the  report, 
is  submitted. 


6      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


GENERAL  DISCUSSION 


17 


I 


I  ' 


A  study  of  the  transit  facilities  of  Pittsburgh,  as  well  3S  of  all 
the  larger  American  cities,  shows  that  while  great  advances  have 
been  made  in  the  art  of  transportation,  much  remains  to  be  ac- 
complished. Neariy  every  city  encounters  a  different  traction 
problem,  and  many  of  them  are  pressing  for  some  immediate 
solution.  In  the  majority  of  cases,  what  is  wanted  is  not  only 
considerable  improvement  over  present  conditions,  but  also  a 
program  of  development  along  technical,  legal  and  financial 
lines  which  will  result  in  a  comprehensive  transportation  system 
suitable  to  meet  constantly  growing  demands. 

Points  of  View. 

The  term  "comprehensive  plan"  is  used  so  frequently  that 
it  may  be  worth  while  to  define  the  conditions  which  such  a  plan 
should  fulfill.  In  doing  this,  it  will  be  discovered  at  once  that 
there  are  many  points  of  view,  and  equally  as  many  opinions  as 
to  the  relative  importance  of  the  elements  which  enter  into  the 
specifications  for  an  ideal  system  of  transportation.  In  consider- 
ing the  subject,  the  rights  of  the  patron,  the  operator,  the  muni- 
cipality, the  property  owner  and  the  financier  must  each  be  recog- 
nized as  well  as  the  requirements  for  maximum  economy. 

The  patron  of  the  system  believes  he  has  a  right  to  expect 
adequate  service,  consisting  of  plenty  of  cars  provided  with  cross 
seats,  comfortably  heated  in  cold  weather  and  well  ventilated  at 
all  times  Every  precaution  should  be  adopted  for  his  safety, 
and  after  safety  and  comfori:  has  been  secured,  the  maximum 
possible  speed  should  be  the  next  consideration.  The  rolling 
stock  should  be  noiseless  in  operation,  and  the  track,  special 
work  and  car  equipment  should  be  built  for  easy  ndmg.  Through 
riding  from  point  of  starting  to  point  of  destination  is  desirable, 
but  if  this  is  not  possible,  the  patron  expects  universal  transfers 
and  one  fare  for  the  entire  system.  ,      ^    ^         u     f 

The  operator  of  the  system  can  secure  the  best  results  it 
the  equipment  is  efficient  and  up-to-date,  if  the  construction  has 
been  sufficiently  substantial  to  reduce  maintenance  to  the  most 
economical  point,  if  the  track  and  paving  have  been  built  so  as 
not  to  encourage  vehicles  to  follow  the  rail,  and  if  street  traffic  is 
so  regulated  that  the  surface  cars  will  have  the  nght  of  way,  par- 
ticularly during  the  rush  hours.  .^1.4-1, 

The  most  favorable  conditions  for  operation  exist  when  the 
peak  loads  are  not  excessive,  when  there  is  a  large  amount  of  all- 
day  travel,  when  the  flow  of  traffic  is  not  all  one  way  so  that  the 
cars  may  be  evenly  filled  in  both  directions,  and  when  the  profit 


of  the  short  haul  business  more  than  offsets  the  losses  from  the 
long  hauls. 

The  City  is  best  served  if  the  passengers  are  collected  and 
delivered  convenient  to  places  of  business;  and  the  system  should 
carry  passengers  to  the  outlying  districts  in  the  minimum  of 
time  and  at  the  lowest  cost,  so  as  to  reduce  the  tendency  toward 
congestion  in  down  town  districts.  Rapid  transit  should  be  pro- 
vided by  well  ventilated  subways  or  by  means  of  roads  in  open 
cuts,  or  upon  elevated  structures  designed  to  present  an  artistic 
appearance  and  to  operate  with  a  minimum  of  noise.  Suburban 
traffic  should  be  handled  by  electrified  terminal  systems  of  the 
various  steam  roads  so  as  to  avoid  smoke  and  gases. 

The  street  railway  surface  system  is  expected  to  maintain  the 
paving  between  and  adjacent  to  its  tracks  and  to  sprinkle  the 
streets  and  reconstruct  its  roadbed  whenever  the  streets  are  torn 
up  for  changes  in  grade,  alterations  in  pavement,  new  sewers  or 
water  mains.  Free  transportation  should  be  supplied  to  mail 
carriers,  firemen,  policemen  and  other  city  employees,  and  special 
low  rates  should  be  made  for  school  children  and  workmen. 
Iron  poles  should  be  removed  upon  request  and  all  transmission 
and  feeder  cables  should  be  placed  underground.  In  certain 
cities  and  in  restricted  districts  of  other  cities,  the  underground 
conduit  system  is  insisted  upon.  The  franchise  should  be  inde- 
terminate so  that  ''franchise  values"  will  be  eliminated,  and  a 
system  of  regulation  should  be  established  to  insure  that  the 
citizens  get  their  full  measure  of  service. 

The  real  estate  owner  and  promoter  often  insists  upon  the  best 
facilities  being  provided  for  his  immediate  district,  even  at  the 
expense  of  the  remainder  of  the  city.  The  owner  of  property  in 
the  central  part  of  the  city  will  point  out  the  advantages  of  con- 
fining the  growth  of  the  city  by  restricting  non-paying  exten- 
sions and  by  charging  two  or  more  fares  to  reach  the  outlying 
districts;  while  the  development  of  the  suburban  districts  and  the 
building  up  of  home  communities  inside  the  city  limits  depends 
largely  upon  extensions  of  rapid  transit  facilities  and  the  main- 
taining of  the  universal  five  cent  fare. 

Firmncial  requiremeTits  will  dicate  that  the  rate  of  fare  be 
sufficient  to  cover  the  expense  of  transportation,  maintenance, 
reserve  for  depreciation  and  damages,  as  well  as  to  pay  interest 
charges  and  a  fair  return  on  the  investment.  If  there  be  any 
surplus,  the  excess  earnings  should  be  devoted  to  better  service 
and  extensions,  or  it  should  be  divided  with  the  city  in  lieu  of 
taxes,  franchise  payments  or  other  civic  burdens. 


s  .1 

I  I 


18      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 

In  considering  rates,  credit  should  be  allowed  for  past  bur- 
dens of  non-paying  years  and  for  development  expenses  involved 
in  creating,  combining  and  building  up  the  property  and  m  bnng- 
ing  it  to  a  paying  basis.  Extraordinary  expenses  should  be 
amortized,  and  reserves  for  replacement  of  equipment,  personal 
damages,  fires  and  other  contingencies  should  be  provided. 

A  hroad  economical  policy  requires  that  the  whole  transporta- 
tion system  of  a  district  should  be  controlled  as  if  under  one 
ownership,  and  that  when  one  system  of  transportation  more 
efficient  than  another  can  be  provided,  a  transfer  of  passengers 
should  be  encouraged  from  the  less  to  the  more  efficient  system. 
Transvortation  in  a  city  is  a  natural  monopoly;  therefore  m)  dis- 
trict should  he  served  with  two  competing  transit  systems  when  one 
can  furnish  better  service  than  with  the  business  divided. 

The  building  of  extensions  into  undeveloped  districts  should 
be  assisted  by  assessment  on  the  property  benefitted,  and  the 
operating  loss  on  non-paying  lines  should  be  financed  so  as  not 
to  be  too  heavy  a  burden  upon  the  remainder  of  the  system.  As 
districts  develop,  the  improvement  of  transit  facilities  should  be 
somewhat  in  advance  of  the  actual  requirements. 

Equitable  Balance. 

The  problem,  therefore,  is  how  to  find  an  equitable  balance 
between  all  these  conditions.     There  is  to  be  provided  a  maximum 
of  safety,  comfort,  speed  and  capacity.    Pavements  are  to  be 
repaired,  taxes  are  to  be  paid  and  all  equipment  must  be  thor- 
oughly maintained  and  a  reserve  fund  accumulated  so  as  to  keep 
the  property  abreast  of  all   advances  in  the  art.      Separate 
systems  must  be  controlled  or  combined  to  avoid  wasteful  com- 
petition   and    to    secure   the   efficiency   of   one    management 
Extensions  must  be  made  into  promising  territory.    Rapid  transit 
systems  should  be  provided  for  and  built  in  advance  of  immediate 
needs,  and  the  losses  during  the  first  years  of  operation  must  be 
financed.     If  private  capital  is  to   be   attracted   for  bmlding 
transit  systems,  a  return  on  the  investment  somewhat  larger  than 
current  rates  of  interest  should  be  allowed. 

There  are  so  many  elements  arising  from  local  conditions 
that  it  is  quite  impracticable  to  develop  a  formula  that  would 
be  universally  applicable,  and  while  comparisons  between  differ- 
ent  cities  are  instructive,  the  solution  of  any  one  problem  must 
be  preceded  by  a  study  of  the  relative  importance  of  its  elements 
33  determined  by  the  special  requirements  of  the  given  locality. 
In  each  case  it  is  desirable  to  determine  what  constitutes  a  fair 
requirement  of  the  following  items: 


X 


GENERAL  DISCUSSION 


19 


1.  Original  investment. 

2.  Legal,  technical  and  financial  development  expenses. 

3.  Working  capital. 

4.  Adequate  service. 

5.  Probable  income. 

6.  Operating  and  maintenance  expenses. 

7.  Taxes  and  franchise  payments. 

8.  Reserve  funds  for  insurance,  damages  and  depreciation. 

9.  Rate  of  return  on  actual  investment. 

10.  Provision  for  future  improvements  and  extensions. 

11.  Facilities  for  rapid  transit. 

Transit  facilities  may  be  called  the  blood  vessels  of  the  city 
or  district,  and  it  is  only  by  providing  for  unrestricted  flow  of 
traffic  from  any  one  district  to  every  other  district  that  we  have 
the  most  favorable  conditions  for  strength  and  growth.  Hamper 
this  free  intercourse  by  poor  transit  facilities;  at  once  there  is  an 
arrested  development.  On  the  other  hand,  if  facilities  are  ex- 
tended too  far  and  too  fast,  there  follows  a  dissipation  of  strength. 
What  is  always  wanted  is  to  find  an  equitable  balance,  and  then 
a  constructive  program  which  will  continuously  maintain  this 
balance. 

Present  Tendencies. 

It  may  be  of  benefit  to  indicate  briefly  the  present  tendencies 
which  are  more  or  less  marked  in  the  movement  for  transit  better- 
ments. There  is  a  decided  tendency,  for  instance,  toward 
recognizing  the  actual  investment  required  to  provide  adequate 
service.  This  tendency  is  shown  by  the  valuations  of  traction 
properties  which  are  now  under  way  by  various  authorities  and 
by  the  studies  that  are  being  made  by  engineers  to  determine 
not  only  the  first  cost  and  the  "cost  to  reproduce"  certain  proper- 
ties, but  also  the  probable  additional  expenses  which  have  been  in- 
volved in  building  up  the  property  and  securing  a  good  business. 
It  is  hard  to  see  how  the  problems  of  reorganization  and  of  rate 
making  can  be  fairly  handled  without  making  a  fair  determination 
of  the  reproduction  cost,  and  in  some  cases,  of  the  depreciated 
or  present  value. 

There  appears  to  be  a  constantly  growing  sentiment  in  favor 
of  building  extensions  into  new  territory  by  means  of  assessment; 
that  is,  charging  the  property  benefitted  with  at  least  the  cost  of 
the  permanent  way.  This  method  of  financing  branch  lines 
which  will  be  operated  at  a  loss  for  some  time,  has  been  worked 


20      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 

out  in  Berlin  in  connection  with  the  underground  road,  and  peti- 
tions are  now  being  signed  in  certain  districts  of  New  York  which 
are  likely  to  result  in  its  adoption  in  this  country. 

There  is  also  a  gradual  tendency  toward  a  higher  standard 
of  service.  Better  lighted,  better  heated  and  more  comfortable 
cars  are  in  demand  and  limiting  the  crowding  allowed  is  result- 
ing in  more  adequate  service.  While  it  is  generally  recognized 
in  this  country  that  a  seat  for  every  passenger  is  impracticable 
during  rush  hours,  knowledge  of  the  fact  that  such  a  pohcy  is 
possible  in  foreign  cities  seems  to  justify  the  more  insistent  de- 
mands for  more  seats  here  at  the  time  passengers  wish  to  travel. 

Fares. 

There  has  been  some  demand  for  three  cent  fares,  especially 
in  the  middle  west,  and  experiments  are  now  being  made  to 
determine  the  possibility  of  this  fare.  The  results,  however, 
are  tending  to  prove  that  cheap  fares  and  good  service  cannot 
be  secured  at  the  same  time  which  points  to  the  conclusion  that, 
as  a  rule,  if  the  rider  wants  good  service  he  must  be  willing  to  pay 
reasonably  for  it. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  movement  to  raise  the  city  fare  above 
the  live  cent  Hmit  has  received  little  encouragement;  and  there 
seems  to  be  no  decided  sentiment  in  this  country  in  favor  of  the 
European  zone  system.    It  appears  that  a  concerted  effori:  must  be 
made  to  work  out  our  transit  problems  on  the  basis  of  a  single 
five  cent  fare  for  a  ride  in  one  general  direction.    And  it  will 
probably  only  be  when  failure  to  do  this,  due  to  excessive  length 
of  average  haul,  has  been  demonstrated,  that  it  will  be  advisable 
to  consider  raising  the  fare  above  five  cents.    Then  it  will  prob- 
ably come  in  the  form  of  making  a  small  charge  for  certam  trans- 
fers    In  other  words,  of  all  the  possible  solutions,  the  augmenting 
of  income  by  charging  more  than  five  cents  for  a  ride  withm  the 
city  limits  would  appear  to  be  one  of  the  last  suggestions  to  be 
considered. 

An  effort  has  been  made  elsewhere  to  increase  income  by 
abolishing  free  transfers,  but  there  is  a  question  as  to  the  benefits 
to  be  derived  from  such  a  course.  The  abuse  of  the  transfer  pma- 
lege  should  rather  be  eliminated.  Its  intelligent  use  always  has 
been  a  logical  and  economical  method  of  handling  and  increasing 
traffic  The  tendency  should  be  toward  one  comprehensive  system 
with  consistent  transfer  facilities  between  the  different  branches. 


GENERAL  DISCUSSION 


21 


If  the  collection  and  distribution  of  passengers  can  be  accomplished 
more  conveniently  and  economically  by  means  of  the  transfer  than 
by  means  of  the  ''direct''  system,  which  often  means  the  duplication 
of  service,  then  the  transfer  system  should  have  the  preference. 
When  it  is  understood  that  the  operating  expenses   per 
car  mile  are  from  three-quarters  to  one- half  as  much  per  car 
for  a  subway  or  an  elevated  structure  as  upon  the  street  surface, 
and  that  at  the  same  time  the  subway  or  elevated  car  runs  at 
fully  double  the  speed  and  carries  at  least  50%  more  seats,  it  will 
be  seen  that,  as  far  as  operating  expenses  are  concerned,  rapid 
transit  subway  and  elevated  lines  have  a  great  advantage.     The 
problem  is  to  secure  sufficient  business  to  run  enough  car  miles 
over  the  more  expensive  structure  so  that  the  fixed  charges  per 
car  mile  will  not  be  excessive.    As  a  rule,  any  subway  or  elevated 
system  will  not  prove  financially  successful  in  which  the  car 
miles  run  during  any  year  are  not  equal  in  amount  to  at  least  half 
the  investment  in  dollars  then  in  the  property,  (that  is,  an  invest- 
ment of  two  dollars  for  each  car  mile  on  a  yearly  basis) .     Experi- 
ence is  gradually  showing  us  that  there  are  economical  limits-- 
both  high  and  low— between  which  a  certain  density  of  traffic  will 
justify   a   corresponding   transportation   system;  beyond    these 
limits  some  other  system  should  be  provided.    For  instance, 
in  Boston,  when  the  surface  system  became  congested  with  traffic 
in  the  down  town  districts,  it  was  found  more  economical  to  handle 
passengers  on  an  elevated  structure.    In  the  course  of  time, 
as  traffic  increased,  it  was  found  desirable  to  extend  the  limits  of 
the  elevated  road  zone  and  to  use  subways.    The  same  conclu- 
sions are  being  reached  in  Brookljm,  where  as  in  Boston,  the  ele- 
vated and  surface  roads  are  both  under  one  management.     In 
other  words,  a  unit  system  of  construction  is  naturally  being  devel- 
oped together  with  a  zone  system  of  operation  rather  than  a  zone 
^stem  of  fares.    But  this  is  only  possible  when  the  entire  trans- 
portation system  is  practically  under  one  control. 

Short  Haul  and  Density. 

The  fact  that  the  operating  expense  per  car  mile  of  the  sur- 
face lines  is  greater  than  the  cost  per  car  mile  through  a 
subway  or  on  an  elevated  line,  naturally  leads  to  a  more  serious 
study  of  the  possible  economies  in  surface  line  operation.  Pro- 
gress in  this  direction  shows  a  decided  movement  to  reduce  the 
relative  weight  of  the  car  per  seat,  resulting  in  lower  power  costs 
and  less  annual  cost  for  maintenance  of  roadway.  At  the  same 
time,  the  income  is  being  increased  and  conserved  by  the  intro- 


'I 


22        THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


duction  of  improved  fare  collecting  systems.  There  remains 
to  be  devised,  however,  some  system  of  operation  on  the  surface 
Hnes  for  the  handling  of  short  haul  passengers  in  short  haul  cars. 
There  is  a  large  profit  in  all  of  our  cities  from  the  short  haul  busi- 
ness. But  as  a  rule,  it  is  now  being  handled  in  cars  which  run 
practically  to  the  ends  of  the  various  lines  so  that  much  of  the 
advantage  of  the  short  haul  profits  is  offset  by  the  expense  of 
operating  cars  with  empty  seats  in  the  outlying  districts. 

It  must  be  recognized  that  there  are  two  things  which  reduce 
the  cost  of  transportation  per  passenger — one  is  density  of  traffic 
and  the  other,  short  haul.    In  Paris,  the  subway  system  is  a  paying 
investment,  because  the  average  haul  is  less  than  two  miles  and 
the  cars  are  operated  over  comparatively  short  lines.     Universal 
free  transfers  are  provided  over  the  entire  system  but  the  lines 
are  not  physically  connected  and  the  Jongest  haul  is  handled 
by  trains  running  only  six  miles,  at  the  end  of  which  distance, 
they  are  looped  back.     On  the  other  hand,  the  present  subway 
in  New  York  furnishes  a  continuous  ride  of  seventeen  and  one 
half  miles  for  one  fare,  while  the  average  passenger  travel  is  about 
five  miles.     Taking  into  consideration  the  relative  purchasing 
value  of  money  in  New  York  and  in  Paris,  a  comparison  of  the 
two  cities  shows  that  in  the  Paris  subway,  the  fare  is  equivalent 
to  four  cents  for  an  average  ride  of  two  miles  or  at  the  rate  of  two 
cents  per  mile,  while  in  New  York,  the  fare  is  five  cents  for  an 
average  ride  of  five  miles,  or  at  the  rate  of  one  cent  per  mile.    On 
a  mile  basis,  therefore.  New  York  gets  its  subway  transportation 
at  half  the  Paris  rate,  but  the  New  Yorker  travels  more  than 
twice  as  far  on  each  ride  as  the  Parisian,  so  that  the  average  fare 
per  passenger  is  greater  in  New  York  than  in  Paris.     New  York 
has  the  advantage  of  density  of  traffic;  Paris  has  the  advantage 
of  short  haul.     New  York  should  cultivate  the  short  haul  busi- 
ness in  short  haul  cars  as  is  done  in  Paris  and  enjoy  the  bene- 
fits of  both  elements— short  haul  and  density  of  traffic — and  thus 
be  relieved  of  the  present  uncomfortable  overcrowding  in  the 
short  haul  district  which  now  seems  to  be  necessary  in  order  to 
secure  the  very  long  rides  for  a  universal  five  cent  fare. 

Taxes. 

The  question  of  taxation  is  being  more  carefully  studied 
and  it  is  being  recognized  by  some  students  of  transportation 
problems,  that  perhaps  the  railroads  have  been  called  upon  to 
carry  more  than  their  share  of  the  tax  burden.  For  a  time, 
the  only  apparent  method  available  for  the  people  to  get  their 


GENERAL  DISCUSSION 


23 


( 


share  of  the  profits,  often  imaginary,  derived  from  the  railway 
business,  was  by  means  of  taxes.  Hence  special  taxes  of  vari- 
ous kinds  were  devised.  But  as  logical  methods  of  control 
and  regulation  are  being  introduced  and  as  the  records  of 
investment,  earnings  and  operating  expenses  are  being  more 
intelligently  studied,  this  fact  is  becoming  apparent— that 
there  is  very  little  surplus  left  for  taxes,  (particularly  for 
the  payment  of  a  franchise  tax,)  if  a  company  is  to  furnish 
adequate  service,  properly  maintain  its  property,  provide  for 
depreciation  due  to  renewals  and  obsolescence  and  pay  even  a 
moderate  return  on  the  investment  so  that  needed  extensions 

may  be  financed. 

As  legislatures  can  establish  Commissions  which  have  power 
to  regulate  service,  control  operation  and  fix  rates,  there  appar- 
ently is  nothing  left,  under  such  conditions,  of  what  has  been 
termed  ''franchise  value."  In  fact  the  term  "indeterminate 
franchise"  implies  this  very  feature.  Now  if  there  is  no  franchise 
value,  there  should  be  no  tax  upon  it.  The  burden  of  maintain- 
ing paving  is  an  inheritance  from  horse  car  days,  when  the  horses 
used  in  hauling  the  street  cars,  actually  wore  out  the  pavements 
between  the  rails.  And  there  is  justly  a  growing  sentiment  toward 
the  removal  of  this  burden,  providing  of  course  that  the  money 
saved  to  the  railway  company  is  diverted  to  furnishing  better 
service  or  toward  offsetting  some  of  the  other  legitimate  expense 
of  transportation. 

Depreciation* 

There  is  much  discussion  as  to  setting  aside  each  year  out 
of  earnings,  some  definite  amount  to  offset  the  depreciation  of  the 
property  due  to  obsolescence  and  other  causes;  and  it  is  generally 
conceded  that  this  is  a  duty  and  necessity  that  no  longer  can  be 
neglected.  What  should  be  done  with  the  past  obligations  of 
this  nature  which  have  accumulated  through  years  of  development 
of  poor  business,  is  a  problem  which  is  receiving  much  considera- 
tion, but  there  hardly  have  been  sufficient  decisions  reached  to 
outline  a  final  conclusion  or  even  to  indicate  a  decided  tendency. 

Rate  of  Return. 

It  is  certain,  however,  that  as  all  these  requirements  of  suc- 
cessful and  growing  transportation  systems  are  being  more 
thoroughly  analyzed  and  understood,  that  there  is  being  devel- 
oped a  conclusion  that  the  profits  from  the  transportation  busi- 


24      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


ness  are,  as  a  rule,  no  longer  excessive;  and  the  removal  of  the 
idea  that  a  franchise  for  a  street  railroad  in  a  center  of  population 
is  "as  good  as  a  gold  mine"  is  having  a  good  effect  toward  reach- 
ing a  sane  solution  of  transportation  difficulties.  Money  actually 
used  to  produce  a  property  should  be  assured  a  fair  rate  of  inter- 
est, and  if  private  capital  is  to  be  attracted,  an  additional  profit 
over  current  interest  rates  must  usually  be  allowed  varying  in 
proportion  with  the  hazard  of  the  enterprise.  It  must  be  admit- 
ted, however,  that  under  conditions  where  the  enterprise  has  be- 
come established,  the  fair  rate  of  return  considered  necessary  is 
approaching  nearer  and  nearer  toward  just  the  interest  charge  at 
current  rates;  and  the  surplus  earnings  are  being  called  upon  to 
satisfy  the  demands  for  extensions,  for  effective  maintenance 
and  for  reserve  to  cover  depreciation. 

The  rate  of  interest  is  being  reduced  in  some  places  by  rais- 
ing money  for  rapid  transit  systems  by  means  of  city  credit,  but 
in  these  cases,  the  furnishing  of  the  money  required  for  equipment 
and  for  the  operation  of  the  system  has  been  left  to  private  capi- 
tal. In  other  cases,  as  in  Chicago,  the  actual  investment  in  the 
surface  street  railway  system  has  been  determined  by  appraisal 
and  an  exact  accounting  has  been  made  of  the  expenditures  for 
rehabilitation,  betterments  and  extensions.  Thus  in  Chicago, 
on  the  total  investment,  there  has  been  allowed  a  return  of  5^  f, 
plus  a  share  of  the  profits,  amounting  to  i5%  of  the  net  earnings, 
the  other  55%  going  to  the  city.  In  other  cities  where  the  rela- 
tion between  the  investment  and  the  return  has  not  been  so  care- 
fully determined,  there  is  a  tendency  either  to  force  a  reduction 
of  the  rate  of  fare  or  else  an  increase  in  service  rendered. 

It  also  must  be  recognized  that  if  some  method  were  avail- 
able to  absolutely  keep  the  operation  of  the  road  ''out  of 
politics,"  there  would  be  a  decided  tendency  in  some  cities 
toward  municipal  ownership  and  municipal  operation. 

Recapitulation. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  that  any  attempt  to  form- 
ulate decisions  of  a  hasty  or  prejudicial  nature  would  very  likely 
fall  far  from  the  truth  and  that  a  coherent  solution  of  the  problem 
requires  analysis  from  many  viewpoints  and  by  various  minds. 

The  patron  should  learn  to  recognize  that  empty  seats  cost 
as  much  to  operate  as  occupied  seats,  that  a  seat  for  every  passen- 
ger during  the  rush  hours  must  mean  the  curtailment  of  the 
service  during  the  non-rush  hours,  and  that  new  cars  and  new 
tracks  cannot  be  furnished  until  old  equipment  has  been  in 
service  a  reasonable  length  of  time. 


■I 


GENERAL  DISCUSSION 


25 


i 


I 


s 


The  operator  should  adopt  the  policy  of  continually  trying 
to  please  the  public  and  should  arrange  his  schedules  and  routes 
to  accomodate  the  greatest  number.  If  the  best  service  can  be 
rendered  by  establishing  through  routes  and  giving  transfers, 
these  methods  should  be  adopted  in  an  effort  to  increase  gross 
earnings  by  making  it  easy  to  ride.  It  should  he  realized  that 
publicity  of  intention  and  results  is  the  best  policy. 

The  City  should  co-operate  with  the  company  on  street  traffic 
regulation,  widening  the  streets  where  necessary  and  issuing  per- 
mits for  extensions  and  new  connections  which  are  absolutely 
necessary  for  the  best  routing  system.  Unnecessary  taxes  and 
the  burden  of  paving  maintenance  should  be  removed  so  as 
to  allow  more  money  for  betterment  of  service. 

The  property  owner  should  recognize  that  the  general  prosper- 
ity of  the  entire  district  is  not  only  vital  to  him  but  to  others,  and 
that  routes  and  extensions  cannot  be  controlled  for  his  particu- 
lar benefit. 

The  financier  must  realize  that  the  day  for  exploitation  of 
established  public  enterprises  has  passed  and  that  the  fixed 
charges  on  such  properties  must  be  reduced  to  a  fair  return  on  the 
actual  investment.  New  capital  which  is  absolutely  necessary 
for  the  continued  life  and  usefulness  of  any  public  utility  must 
be  furnished,  and  this  flow  of  new  blood  should  be  supplied  in 
advance  of  actual  needs,  if  it  is  to  have  a  strengthening  influence 
on  the  system. 

Economy  and  a  continuation  of  an  equitable  balance  dictates 
efficient  management,  and  the  setting  aside  out  of  earnings  each 
year,  of  a  fund  to  provide  for  renewals. 

These  several  elements  have  been  considered  in  some  detail 
for  the  purpose  of  emphasizing  as  strongly  as  possible  the  danger 
of  a  one  sided  judgment  of  the  Pittsburgh  traction  problem.  And 
it  is  hoped  that  the  reading  of  this  general  discussion  will  place 
one  in  a  better  position  to  consider  the  specific  phases  of  the 
problem  that  will  follow. 


I 


:i  I 


TRANSPORTATION  IN  THE  PITTSBURGH 

DISTRICT. 


Briefly  discussing  the  importance  of  transportation  to  the  Pittsburgh 
District— Pittsburgh  always  a  transportation  center  by  water 
and  rail— Its  enormous  tonnage— A  pioneer  in  electric  traction 
— Pittsburgh  not  a  city  but  a  ''District'' — Its  population  of 
1 ,000,000  scattered — Absen/^e  of  a  constructive  plan  in  estab- 
lishing isolated  centers — Difficulties  that  may  be  turned  to 
advantages — Transverse  routes  possible — Different  types  of 
cars  best  suited  to  trunks  and  hill  climbing— Good  service 
encourages  traffic— One  district,  one  system  a  necessity. 

Pittsburgh  owes  much  to  transportation,  and  transporta- 
tion to  Pittsburgh.  Its  growth  from  the  original  Fort  Pitt  into 
a  fortified  trading  post  and  later  into  an  outfitting  village  was 
due  to  its  location  at  the  confluence  of  the  Monongahela  and  Alle- 
gheny Rivers,  forming  the  headwaters  of  the  Ohio  River,  which 
early  became  the  main  highway  between  the  Atlantic  seaboard 
and  the  great  West  and  Southwest. 

Pittsburgh  Always  a  Center  of  Transportation. 

Very  early,  transportation  was  established  overland  by 
means  of  stage  coaches  with  a  line  of  Conestoga  wagons  for 
freight,  making  the  haul  from  Philadelphia  to  Pittsburgh  in 
20  days.  Later,  to  forestall  competition  on  the  north,  the  Penn- 
sylvania canal  was  built  by  the  State  and  brought  the  first  boat 
into  Pittsburgh  in  1829  over  an  aqueduct  spanning  the  Allegheny 
River.  In  connection  with  this  canal,  the  Portage  Railroad  was 
built  over  the  Allegheny  mountains,  hauling  the  entire  canal 
boat  over  the  divide  by  means  of  inclines.  A  very  interesting 
print  of  Pittsburgh  in  1830  shows  the  old  "canal  basin"  Pitts- 
burgh's first  freight  clearing  house,  on  the  site  of  the  present 
Union  Station  with  a  tunnel  piercing  the  ''hump"  so  as  to  reach 
the  final  locks  at  the  Monongahela  River.  This  calial  was  event- 
ually purchased  and  used  by  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  and  the 
tunnel  is  now  used  by  the  Panhandle  tracks  of  the  Lines  West. 


28        THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


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TRANSPORTATION   MAP— PITTSBURGH  DISTRICl. 

A  striking  feature  of  Pittsburgh  is  the  large  number  of  industrial  coramuni; 
ties  surrounding  the  city  and  forming  what  is  known  as  the  "P'ttsburgh  l^»strict 
All  of  these  towns  are  served  by  steam  lines  radiatmg  from  Pittsburgh,  and  most 
of  them  by  lines  of  the  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company.  Lines  designated  as 
-Beaver  V^alley  Traction  Company"  are  not  part  of  the  Pittsburgh  Railways 
Sv stem  but  are  owned  by  the  Philadelphia  Company.  ,     ,.    .,      rA„     . 

This  so  called  Pittsburgh  District  lies  largely  within  the  hmits  of  Allegheny 
County.  The  areas  indicated  by  circles  are  proportional  to  the  population  ot 
the  various  towns. 


THE  PITTSBURGH  DISTRICT 


29 


Steam  ferries  and  river  packets  as  far  as  New  Orleans  were 
established  in  1810,  and  in  1818  bridges  were  built  over  the  rivers 
to  the  North  and  to  the  South  Sides.  In  1836  river  improve- 
ments were  begun  to  facilitate  navigation  during  slack  water. 

The  steam  railroad — The  Pennsylvania— reached  Pittsburgh 
from  Philadelphia  in  1854,  and  a  steam  line  to  Chicago  was 
opened  in  1859,  the  same  year  that  the  horse  tramway  was  intro- 
duced in  the  city  for  hauling  local  passengers. 

The  early  discovery  of  coal  and  later  of  petroleum  and  natural 
gas  in  the  vicinity  of  Pittsburgh,  made  it  a  natural  manufactur- 
ing location,  and  the  development  of  its  industries  has  made  the 
''Pittsburgh  District"  one  of  the  leading  producing  and  trans- 
portation centers  of  the  world. 

The  total  railroad  and  river  tonnage  (not  including  freight 
in  transit)  amounted  in  1907  to  161,194,000  tons,  of  which 
14,396,000  tons  was  carried  by  boats.  It  is  said  that  the  tonnage 
of  this  District  is  equal  to  one-half  the  combined  tonnage  of  the 
Atlantic  and  Pacific  coasts,  and  exceeds  the  combined  tonnage 
of  London,  New  York,  Antwerp,  Hamburg  and  Liverpool.  Pitts- 
burgh has  thus  grown  to  be  the  center  of  a  network  of  steam 
railroads  and  the  home  of  a  large  and  busy  fleet  of  river  boats. 

While,  during  these  developments,  Pittsburgh  has  been 
calling  for  and  receiving  the  best  that  the  art  of  transportation 
has  had  to  offer,  it  has  not  been  slow  in  contributing  in  large 
measure  to  progress  in  this  line.  It  was  among  the  first  of  the 
American  cities  to  introduce  the  horse  car  and  the  cable  system 
and  was  a  real  pioneer  in  building  electric  street  railways.  The 
genius  and  industry  of  its  workers  has  made  Pittsburgh  the  home 
of  the  steel  rail,  the  block  signal,  the  air  brake,  the  steel  car  wheel, 
the  all-metal  car,  the  electric  motor  and  the  steam  turbine. 
Thus,  while  Pittsburgh  owes  much  to  transportation,  it  has 
paid  its  debts  with  interest  and  has  a  right  to  expect  much 
of  future  transit  developments. 

The  Pittsburgh  District. 

Pittsburgh  is  really  not  a  City,  but  a  District,  and  while 
there  are  "city  limits"  the  study  of  the  local  transportation 
problem  cannot  be  confined  to  these  limits.  Of  the  581  miles  of 
track  comprising  the  present  system  of  the  Pittsburgh  Railways 
Company  there  are  260  miles  located  inside  the  city  limits,  the 
remainder  of  the  trackage  serving  the  surrounding  boroughs 


r 

I 

i 

1 


30        THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


and  reaching  out  as  interurban  lines  as  far  south  as  Washington 
and  Charleroi. 

Of  the  million  people  served  by  this  system,  only  about  one- 
half  are  to  be  found  within  the  City  proper.  The  Pittsburgh 
Railways  Company  makes  no  distinction  in  its  accounting  system 
between  earnings  and  operating  expenses  inside  and  outside  the 
city  limits,  which  is  another  reason  for  considering  the  Pittsburgh 
District  as  a  whole,  rather  than  attempting  to  analyze  the  trac- 
tion situation  of  the  City  only. 

It  will  be  found  imperative,  eventually,  to  handle  the  prob- 
lems of  water,  sewage  and  other  public  utilities  as  a  District 
rather  than  as  a  City,  and  as  the  prosperity  and  growth  of  any  one 
locality  has  an  influence  upon  the  entire  community,  there  should 
be  no  distinction  made  in  favoring  the  transportation  develop- 
ments in  any  certain  direction. 

The  system  of  the  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  serves  the 
entire  District.  There  are  small  competing  street  car  systems  in 
some  of  the  boroughs,  such  as  Homestead  and  McKeesport,  but 
nearly  the  entire  population  of  the  District  depends  for  street  car 
service  upon  the  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company. 

Population  Scattered.  The  striking  feature  of  the  locality, 
from  a  transportation  standpoint,  is  the  scattered  way  in  which 
the  District  has  been  settled.  The  entire  city  and  the  surround- 
ing towns  have  simply  "grown  up"  but  not  according  to  any 
definite  or  pre-conceived  plan.  Starting  with  the  district  lying 
between  the  rivers  near  their  junctions  commonly  known  as 
''The  Point,"  industrial  enterprise  has  spread  out  the  workshops 
and  the  workers  along  the  rivers  and  railroads,  while  the  home- 
seeking  spirit  has  carried  the  resident  population  up  to  the  hill 
tops  in  an  effort  to  get  away  from  the  smoke  that  has  been 
inseparable  from  the  city's  progress  toward  its  present  greatness. 

The  effort  to  secure  favorable  transportation  facilities  has 
been  the  fundamental  cause  for  the  division  of  the  District  into 
somewhat  isolated  centers.  Manufacturing  necessities  early 
preempted  the  few  available  level  factory  and  mill  sites  along  the 
river  banks  or  in  the  valleys  contiguous  to  the  railroads.  The 
houses  of  the  workmen  were  perched  on  the  hill  sides  or  were 
clustered  in  the  ravines  nearby,  and  "The  Point"  became  the 
natural  administrative  and  commercial  center   of  the  District. 

Isolated  home  communities  sprung  up  along  the  lines  of 
the  steam  railroads  and  small  trade  centers  developed  at  these 


t-J, 


PITTSBURGH  TERRITORY 

ACCOMPANVING     TMC    RtPORT   Of 

BION  J.ARNOLD 

ON  THtC 

PITTSBURGH  TRACTION  PROBUELM 

TO    HON. WILLIAM  A. MAGEE 

MAYOR  OF  PITTSBURGH 


RELATIVE  DISTRIBUTION  OF  POPULATION— PITTSBURGH  AND  VICINITY— 1910. 
covers  sufficient  territory  to  accommodate  many  times  its  present  population,  before  there  need  be  any  congestion. 


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MAP  SHOWING  DISTRIIUTI^N  OF  POPULATION  IN  CHICAGO. 


1     _  .1,^  Put«h,ir0h  "Dot"  Map,  and  here  each  dot  also  represents  500  persons.      In  addition  to  the  surface  lines,  Chicago  is 
This  map  is  drawn  to  the  same  scale  as  ^he  P^"^^^^^^^^  ^f  ^Although  considerably  more  scattered  than  Pittsburgh,  a  large  portion  of  the  city  of  Chicago 

served  by  four  elevated  roads  and  ^^'^'''''!^'ll^'l'f^^^^  ^^^v  'through"  routes.      A  liberal  system  of  transfers  is  also  provided  to  carry  out  the  provisions 

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of  the  new  traction  ordinances  to  secure     one  city  with  one  tare.  ; 


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POPULATION                .-SOO 
SUnfACE       RY  


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DISTRIBUTION  OF  POPULATION 

BERLIN 

ACCOMPANYING    THE    RtPOHT   OF 

BION  J  ARNOUO 

ON    TMt 

PITTSBURGH  TRACTION  PROBLEM 

• 

TO  HON.  WILLIAM  A  MAGEE 
MAYOR   OF  PITTSBURGH 

MAP  SHOWING  DISTRIBUTION  OF  POPULATION  IN  BERLIN. 

This  map,  drawn  to  the  same  scale  as  that  of  Pittsburgh  and  Chicago,  and  with  each  dot  also  representing  500  persons,  illustrates  how  the  European  cities  are 
"built  up."  Berlin  has  an  average  density  of  131  persons  per  acre,  while  Pittsburgh's  average  density  of  population  inside  the  city  limits  is  only  21  persons  per 
acre.  Berlin  has  its  own  transportation  problem,  but  it  is  largely  one  of  securing  sufficient  capacity  over  the  available  routes.  The  surface,  elevated  and  subway 
systems  are  supplemented  by  many  omnibus  lines  and  by  the  '^Ringbahn"  and  "Stadtbahn"  steam  roads  handling  considerable  suburban  and  city  traffic. 


M 


The  area  of  the  squares  is  proportional  to 
the  population  of  each  of  the  old  wards. 
Solid  black  indicates  the  growth  since  1900, 
drawn  from  figures  compiled  by  Ford,  Bacon 
&  Davis,  engineers  for  the  Philadelphia  Com- 
pany. When  the  returns  of  the  1910  census 
are  available,  they  will  be  for  the  new  ward 
limits,  and  comparison  with  the  old  wards 
will  be  difficult.  Ward  numbers  are  indicated 
by  large  figures,  and  average  density  per  acre 
by  the  small  figures. 


GROWTH  AND  DENSITY  OF  POPULATION  BY 


hardly  exceed  100  per  acre  within  the  settled  areas.      In  New  York,  the  density 
evidently  away  from  the    centers,  the  maximum  being  in  the  outlying   ward? 


IVIL  DIVISIONS— PITTSBURGH  AND  VICINITY. 


The  density  of  population  in  Pittsburgh  is  not  excessive;  the  greatest  den^'  >"  is   192  per  acre  in  the  old  7th  Ward,  while  most  of  the  other  congested  wards 


>n  the  lower  East  Side  exceeds  1000  per  acre.     The  tendency  of  growth  is  quite 
nd   boroughs.      Down  town  wards  are  actually  losing  population. 


THE  PITTSBURGH  DISTRICT 


31 


points  to  serve  the  residents.  During  the  time  that  the  District 
depended  for  intercommunication  upon  the  steam  railroads,  the 
relatively  infrequent  service  caused  each  locality  to  be  more  or 
less  isolated,  depending  upon  itself  for  its  own  amusement  and 
supplies,  but  with  the  introduction  of  the  trolley  system,  the  vari- 
ous communities  were  brought  more  closely  together  and  the 
settlement  of  intervening  territory  began. 

It  was  probably  no  philanthropic  motive  which  prompted 
the  promoters  to  build  trolley  lines  to  connect  these  outlying 
boroughs  with  each  other  and  with  the  larger  city,  but  the  fact 
remains  that  very  often  the  communities  served  by  these  pioneer 
lines  have  gained  much  more  indirectly  than  they  have  contributed 
to  the  railroad  in  return.  Bridges  were  built,  grades  reduced, 
highways  opened  up  and  streets  were  paved  by  the  railroad 
system  far  in  advance  of  the  actual  requirements  of  many  local- 
ities, and  the  reward  for  some  of  this  enterprise  is  still  lacking. 

What  Transportation  Still  Has  to  Accomplish. 

The  advantage  that  many  European  cities  have  over  our 
American  cities  is  that  they  are  ''^built  up."  Congestion  of  popu- 
lation is  of  course  to  be  avoided,  but  on  the  other  hand  a  certain 
density  is  to  be  desired.  Up  to  a  critical  point  (depending  on 
the  locality),  the  greater  the  population  per  acre,  the  higher  the 
land  values,  the  more  costly  are  the  improvements  that  are  justi- 
fied, the  greater  the  income  from  taxes  and  thus  better  paving, 
sidewalks  and  sewers  may  be  secured,  and  the  utilities  such  as 
gas,  water,  electric  light  and  transit  may  be  supplied  at  a  cheaper 
rate  or  in  greater  quantities. 

The  Pittsburgh  District  has  already  been  very  completely 
covered  by  its  local  transportation  system,  now  the  building  up 
of  the  vacant  spaces  must  take  place.  This  can  best  be  accom- 
plished by  limiting  further  advancement  into  outlying  territory 
to  actual  necessities  and  by  furnishing  better  service  over  the  tracks 
already  provided. 

What  is  needed  in  the  Pittsburgh  District  at  the  present 
time  is  a  "get  together"  movement.  The  division  lines  between 
the  different  parts  of  the  District  must  be  more  completely  elimi- 
nated and  the  various  centers  must  grow  out  to  meet  one 
another,  and  become  massed  into  one  community.  In  bringing 
about  this  desirable  result,  the  lines  of  the  local  surface  trans- 
portation system  will  play  the  most  important  part. 


32       THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


Difficulties  That  May  be  Turned  Into  Advantages. 

It  has  often  been  pointed  out  that  the  rugged  topography 
consisting  of  steep  hills,  deep  ravines  and  only  a  few  level  spots, 
the  narrow  streets,  the  concentration  of  business  into  a  section 
of  300  acres,  the  division  of  the  city  by  its  rivers  into  three  parts, 
the  isolated  outlying  communities  and  the  lack  of  continuous 
street   systems,    are    a    unique   combination  of   disadvantages 
which  make  it  difficult  to  secure  ideal  or  even  good  transportation. 
However  it  is  very  possible  that  a  little  study  may  turn  many  of 
these    disadvantages    into    benefits.      For    instance,    the    fact 
that  the  city  grew  up  without  a  definite   plan   resulted    in 
many   "cross   cut"   thoroughfares   between    the    different    cen- 
ters.    This  is  really  an   advantage   over  those  cities  having  a 
right  angle  street  plan  without  diagonal  avenues.    The  devel- 
opment of  the  District,  primarily  by  local  communities,  will  be  a 
distinct  benefit  to  traction  developments  in  the  future,  as  the 
scattering  of  the  shopping  and  amusement  districts  throughout 
a  city  means  considerable    short    haul    traffic,  which  will  get 
on  and  off  the  through  cars,  thus  utilizing  them  in  the   most 
profitable  way.      The   more   passengers   that  may  be  accom- 
modated by  each  seat  on  a  single  one-way  trip,  the  more  effi- 
cient is  the  use  of  each  car,  and  to  secure  this  result,  the  more 
centers     existing     to     attract     riders,   whether    for    business 
or  pleasure,  the  better  the  service  that  may  be  given  with  the 
same  equipment. 

The  fact  that  it  is  impracticable  to  run  large  cars  up  into  the 
hills,  where  narrow  and  crooked  streets  with  excessive  grades  exist, 
may  be  turned  to  good  account  toward  securing  better  service 
by  allowing  this  disadvantage  to  dictate  the  use  of  a  transfer  sys- 
tem, using  the  small  hill  climbers  on  through  routes  from  one 
hill  section  to  another,  connecting  by  means  of  a  convenient 
transfer  station  to  the  main  line  of  larger  cars,  which  will  carry 
passengers  through  the  business  district  to  other  transfer  centers 
on  opposite  sides  of  the  city.  A  similar  transfer  system  has  been 
worked  out  in  Boston  with  notable  success. 

The  entire  situation,  therefore,  is  by  no  means  hopeless  and 
does  not  demand  radical  changes  in  design  or  method  of  opera- 
tion. A  transportation  system  should  really  keep  ahead  of  the 
development  of  the  district  which  it  serves,  and  fortunately  the 
records  of  other  cities  show  that  increased  business  follows 
immediately  after  improved  facilities. 


THE  PITTSBURGH  DISTRICT 


33 


One  District,  One  System. 

The  most  striking  feature  of  the  transportation  develop- 
ments in  the  Pittsburgh  District  is  that  its  surface  electric  rail- 
way utilities  have  been  combined  into  one  system.  Unification 
of  operation  is  a  result  which  may  or  may  not  be  an  advantage. 
At  the  present  time  there  are  some  points  of  disadvantage,  re- 
sulting largely  from  the  fact  that  the  future  of  the  system  was 
too  heavily  capitalized  at  the  time  the  combinations  were  made 

There  can  be  little  doubt  as  to  the  many  benefits  to  be  secured 
by  the  operation  under  one  management  of  a  large  system 
such  as  is  now  controlled  by  the  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company, 
but  unless  the  public  gets  some  of  the  advantages  of  the  combina- 
tion, there  can  accrue  to  the  system  itself  no  lasting  benefits. 
The  interests  of  the  District  and  of  the  Company  are  so  insepar- 
able that  eventually  the  sentiment  must  prevail  that  the  benefits 
should  be  divided  share  and  share  alike. 

Every  effort  should  be  put  forth  to  conserve  the  progress  that 
has  been  made  toward  a  combined  District  served  by  a  single 
trolley  system,  but  this  will  be  impossible  if  the  company  endeav- 
ors to  collect  toll  too  far  in  advance  or  if  the  citizens  of  the 
District  fail  to  recognize  that  the  building  up  of  the  system 
has  required  faith,  enterprise  and  a  large  investment  which  in 
course  of  time  should  have  its  reward. 


i 
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TRACK  OFCHATtO   BV    mTTSaiMOM  HAILWATS  COHWM«T. 

M_M.        NO^J   O^CfVATIVC  TMACK- 

THACK     O^CHATID     u^fOCR    TRATriC     Ae»H.MCNT      Br 
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mC4.INCS    OPCRATLD    BV     PiTTSBtjHGH  KAILWIAVS     COMPANY, 

rNCLINCS  OPCMATtO  BT  OTHCK  COnmkNrCS. 


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COMm^NY. 


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PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS  COMPANY 

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BION  J  ARNOLD 

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PITTSBURGH  TRACTION  PROBLEM 
TO  HON.  WILLIAM  A  MAGEE 
MAYOR   or  PITTSBURGH 


MAP  OF  ALL  STREET  RAILWAY  LIN  J^S  IN  PITTSBURGH  AND  VICINITY. 


This  trackage  comprises  all  the  lines  of  the  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  in( 
foreign  companies  operating  in  the  District.  Tracks  radiate  in  all  directions  tro 
difficult  topography.  The  Pittsburgh  Railways  system  comprises  279.67  miles  s 
intcrurban  track  or  a  total  of  581.00  miles. 


a 
si  1 


underlying  companies,   whether  owned,  leased  or  operated,   also  those  of  the 
the  business  center  at  the  Point,  the  irregularity  of  the  lines  being  due  to  the 
gle  track   inside   City  limits.      241.67  miles  in  suburban  districts.      59.66  miles 


REVIEW  OF  SURFACE  TRACTION 
DEVELOPMENT  IN  PITTSBURGH. 


Noting  the  more  important  steps  in  the  history  of  the  formation  of  the 
present  system— Horse  car  period,  1859  to  1887 — Activity 
following  enlargement  of  city  boundaries  in  1868— Experi- 
mental period,  1887  to  1891— Cable  systems  started  in  1889— 
Pioneer  electric  road  a  failure— Other  electric  roads  successful 
from  the  start— Abandonment  of  cable  system  in  1896— Per- 
iod of  exploitation  and  competition,  1891  to  1896— Traction 
business  considered  a' 'gold  mine''— Destructive  competition- 
Hard  times  of  1 893-U  checks  progress— Period  of  consolidation, 
1896  to  1902— Gradual  welding  of  roads  into  one  system  under 
Pittsburgh  Railways  Company— Outlook  promising— Period 
of  combined  operation  1902  to  1910— Panics  of  1908  and  1907 
resulting  disastrously— Corporate  history— United  Railways 
Investment  Co.— Philadelphia  Company— Pittsburgh  Rail- 
ways Company— Subsidiary  Companies— Consolidated 
Traction  Company— United  Traction  Company —Summary 
of  Annual  fixed  charges — Taxation. 

The  developments  which  have  resulted  in  the  present  system 
of  street  car  transportation  in  Pittsburgh  may  be  divided,  for  the 
purpose  of  analysis  into  the  following  periods: 

Horse  Car— Experimental— Exploitation  and  Competition- 
Consolidation — Combined  Operation. 

Horse  Car  Period— 1859  to  1887. 

The  first  street  railway  in  Pittsburgh  was  a  horse  car  line 
which  began  operations  in  1859.  The  construction  of  the  track 
consisted  of  strap  tram  rails  spiked  to  longitudinal  wooden 
stringers.  This  pioneer  line  carried  passengers  between  the  busi- 
ness district  at  the  'Toint"  through  the  sparsely  settled  district 
known  as  "Bayards  Town,"  along  the  Allegheny  River  to  the 
"forks  of  the  road"  at  Penn  Avenue  and  Thirty-fourth  Street, 
and  thence  through  the  village  of  Lawrenceville,  which  was  then 


t 


36       THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


s 


SURFACE  TRACTION  DEVELOPMENT 


37 


If 


a  high  grade  residence  section,  past  the  Allegheny  Arsenal  to  the 
gate  of  the  Allegheny  Cemetery.  Penn  Avenue  was  at  that 
time  a  toll  road  and  a  part  of  the  "Philadelphia  Pike." 

One  of  the  next  lines  to  be  built  was  from  Fourth  Avenue 
and  Market  Street  along  Fifth  Avenue  to  Soho  and  thence  to 
Oakland.  Later  this  line  was  extended  to  East  Liberty  via  Fifth 
Avenue. 

An  epidemic  of  "pink  eye"  at  one  time  crippled  the  supply 
of  horses  of  this  road  so  seriously  that  steam  dummies  were  sub- 
stituted, but  the  experiment  with  mechanical  motors  was  not  a 
success  and  horses  were  again  used.  These  were  the  days  of  the 
"bobtail"  car  when  straw  on  the  floor  was  used  in  winter  instead 
of  a  stove,  and  a  fare  box  in  lieu  of  a  conductor.  Turn-tables 
were  used  to  reverse  the  cars  at  the  ends  of  each  line.  On  some 
of  the  cars  the  driver  sat  on  top,  as  was  the  custom  with  the 
busses  which  the  horse  cars  replaced. 

Prior  to  1874  a  number  of  passenger  railway  companies  were 
incorporated  in  Allegheny  County,  under  special  Acts  of  the 
Legislature.  Of  these  companies  the  following  are  still  in  exist- 
ence, and  cars  are  being  operated  over  routes  granted  in  the  orig- 
inal charters  and  supplements. 

The  Citizens  Passenger  Railway  Company,  incorporated  in 
1859,  extended  as  a  horse  line  out  Penn  Avenue  from  Sixth  to 
Thirty-fourth  Street.  This  line  was  subsequently  extended  out 
Butler  Street,  first  to  the  Allegheny  Cemetery  and  finally  to 
Sharpsburg.  The  route  was  also  extended  from  Thirty-fourth 
Street  out  Penn  Avenue  to  East  Liberty. 

The  Pittsburgh  &  East  Liberty  Passenger  Railway  Company, 
incorporated  in  1859,  extended  as  a  horse  line  out  Fifth  Avenue 
to  Oakland.  This  company  was  reorganized  twice— first  as  the 
Oakland  Railway  Company  and  then  as  the  Pittsburgh,  Oakland 
&  East  Liberty  Passenger  Railway  Company.  Its  route  was 
finally  extended  out  Fifth  and  Penn  Avenues  to  Wilkinsburg, 
and  from  Fifth  Avenue  to  East  Liberty  via  Shady  and  High- 
land Avenues. 

The  Pittsburgh  &  Birmingham  Passenger  Railroad  Company, 
also  incorporated  in  1859,  extended  from  the  comer  of  Fifth 
Avenue  and  Smithfield  Street,  along  Smithfield,  across  the  Smith- 
field  Street  Bridge  to  Carson  Street,  and  thence  along  Carson 
to  about  South  Twenty-fourth  Street.  This  line  was  subsequently 
extended  eastward  to  the  Union  Depot  in  Pittsburgh  and  to 
the  present  city  line  on  the  South  Side. 


38        THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


;  f 


i 


•I 


SURFACE  TRACTION  DEVELOPMENT 


39 


The  Pittsburgh,  Allegheny  &  Manchester  Passenger  Railway 
Company,  was  also  one  of  the  original  horse  car  lines  incorporated 
in  1859,  and  extended  from  the  corner  of  Penn  Avenue  and  Sixth 
Street  in  Pittsburgh,  along  Sixth  across  the  Sixth  Street  Bridge, 
thence  along  Federal  Street,  Allegheny,  and  thence  to  the  Borough 
of   Manchester.    Various    extensions   were   subsequently    built 

to  this  route. 

The  Federal  Street  &  Pleasant  Valley  Passenger  Railway  Com- 
pany was  incorporated  in  1868  and  built  a  line  extending  from  the 
corner  of  Fifth  Avenue  and  Smithfield  Street,  on  Smithfield  Street 
to  Seventh  Avenue,  thence  across  Liberty  Street  to  Ninth  Street 
across  Ninth  Street  Bridge,  thence  along  Anderson  Street,  Alle- 
gheny, to  Church  Avenue,  to  Union  Avenue,  toGay  Alley,  to  the  east 
side  of  the  Diamond,  Federal  Street,  to  North  Avenue  and  thence  to 
the  Hilldale  Cemetery.  This  Company,  by  various  consolidations 
and  extensions  later  acquired  practically  all  the  routes  operated 
on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  except  those  of  the  Pittsburgh,  Alle- 
gheny &  Manchester  Passenger  Railway  Company,  referred  to  above. 

The  Central  Passenger  Railway  Company  was  incorporated 
in  1869.  This  line  originally  extended  out  Wylie  and  Center 
Avenues  to  Minersville.  The  Pittsburgh  &  East  Liberty  Passen- 
ger Railway  Company,  mentioned  above,  had  the  right  under  its 
charter  to  construct  a  branch  over  this  route.  This  franchise 
passed  successively  to  the  Oakland  Railway  Company,  the  Pitts- 
burgh &  Minersville  Passenger  Railway  Company,  and  finally 
to  the  Central  Passenger  Railway  Company.  Various  extensions 
have  been  constructed  from  time  to  time. 

The  Pittsburgh  &  Ormsby  Passenger  Railway  Company  ob- 
tained rights  in  1870  to  build  out  Second  Avenue,  Pittsburgh,  to 
Tenth  Street  Bridge,  thence  across  the  bridge  to  Washington 
Street,  to  South  17th  Street,  to  Sarah  Street,  and  thence  along 
Sarah  Street.  Subsequently  the  stock  of  this  company  was 
acquired  by  The  Pittsburgh  &  Birmingham  Passenger  Railroad 
Company,  and  the  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  now  operates 
this  route  as  part  of  its  system. 

Experimental  Period— 1887  to  1891. 

In  1887  Messrs.  Widener  and  Elkins  of  Philadelphia  acquired 
a  controlling  interest  in  the  horse  car  line  running  to  East  Liberty 
through  Oakland,  and  laid  plans  to  substitute  mechanical  power 
by  means  of  the  under-running  cable  system.  This  system 
had  just  been  installed  on  the  steep  grades  of  San  Francisco,  and 
apparently  promised  much  for  rapid  transit  under  similar  situa- 
tions in  Pittsburgh. 


40        THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


N 


Simultaneously,  one  of  the  first  electric  roads  in  the  country 
was  being  installed  from  the  intersection  of  Carson  and  Thirteenth 
streets  on  the  South  Side  up  the  steep  grades  to  Knoxville  Bor- 
ough. This  line  was  backed  by  citizens  of  Knoxville  and  Mt. 
Oliver  in  the  hope  of  improving  transportation  in  that  district, 
which  at  that  time  depended  mostly  upon  the  inclines.  At  this 
time  there  was  a  considerable  doubt  in  the  minds  of  railway 
engineers  as  to  the  relative  advantages  of  cable  and  of  electric 
traction  for  street  car  purposes,  and  the  experiment  in  Pittsburgh 
was  a  decided  contribution  to  the  art. 

The  first  cable  line,  extending  from  Fifth  Avenue  and  Liberty 
Street  to  Shady  Avenue,  East  End,  was  opened  for  business 
September  12th.  1889,  and  at  once  cut  the  time  of  travel  for  its 
five  miles  of  length  from  one  and  three  quarter  hours  to  thirty 
minutes.  The  second  cable  line  replaced  the  horses  of  the  pioneer 
Citizens  Company  on  Penn  Avenue,  and  began  operations  in 
January,  1890,  while  the  third  and  last  cable  road  out  Wylie 
Avenue  to  Minersville  was  put  into  service  in  February,  1890. 

In  the  meantime  the  ''Daft"  system  of  electric  traction  had 
been  installed  to  climb  the  south  hills  to  Knoxville.  This  line 
was  built  before  the  introduction  of  the  present  form  of  trolley 
pole  and  wheel,  the  contact  with  the  wire  overhead  being  made  by 
means  of  a  small  carriage  trailing  behind  the  car  and  running 
on  top  of  two  trolley  wires.  On  account  of  the  steep  hills,  rack 
and  wheel  propulsion  was  used,  but  the  line  did  not  prove  to  be 
a  great  success. 

The  next  attempt  at  electric  traction  was  made  in  1889  on 
Observatory  Hill  in  Allegheny  and  was  more  promising.  On  July 
2nd,  1889,  the  Observatory  Hill  Passenger  Railway  was  purchased 
by  Messrs.  Graham  and  Henry,  who  at  once  proceeded  to  electrify 
it  and  the  Pleasant  Valley  road  in  Allegheny  which  they  also 
owned.  Mr.  Henry  had  visited  Richmond,  Virginia,  where 
an  electric  line  had  already  been  built  by  Mr.  Frank  J.  Sprague, 
and  at  once  completed  arrangements  for  a  similar  installation 
on  his  Allegheny  roads.  The  Pleasant  Valley  line  had  the 
distinction  of  being  the  first  electric  line  to  enter  the  business 
district  of  Pittsburgh.  Its  route  crossed  the  Ninth  Street 
bridge,  which  was  then  a  wooden  structure.  It  appears  to 
have  been  the  first  electric  line  to  use  the  now  common 
''cast  weld"  joint.  Moreover,  for  a  short  distance  in  Allegheny— 
from  the  City  Hall  to  the  end  of  Federal  Street— it  operated 
for  a  time  with  underground  conduit  system,  similar  to  that 
now  in  use  in  New  York  and  Washington. 


SURFACE  TRACTION  DEVELOPMENT 


41 


The  success  of  these  pioneer  electric  lines  led  to  the  build- 
ing of  the  Second  Avenue  line,  from  the  junction  of  Markiit  Street 
and  Fourth  Avenue  to  Glenwood,  which  began  operating  electric 
cars  in  March,  1890.  In  this  enterprise  Mr.  James  D.  Callery, 
now  President  of  the  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company,  was  the 
active  head.  Successful  from  the  start,  the  line  was  later  ex- 
tended into  Homestead,  Braddock,  McKeesport,  Wilmerding, 
East  Pittsburgh  and  other  Monongahela  river  towns. 

The  electric  system  thus  gradually  demonstrated  that  it 
was  better  adapted  than  the  cable  to  furnish  rapid  transit  over 
the  hills  of  the  Pittsburgh  District.  Plans  and  contracts  which 
had  been  made  for  a  cable  road  to  Birmingham  were  abandoned, 
and  electricity  was  substituted.  Eventually  the  electric  trolley 
supplanted  the  cable  on  all  the  lines  where  it  had  been  installed, 
and  by  1896  all  cable  operations  in  Pittsburgh  had  been  aban- 
doned. Remains  of  the  conduit  and  slot  may  still  be  seen  on  cer- 
tain streets  as  upper  Wylie  Avenue,  as  reminders  of  the  millions 
invested  in  the  expensive  cable  system,  only  to  be  abandoned 
about  six  years  after  it  was  first  installed. 

Period  of  Exploitation  and  Competition — 

1891  to  1896. 

The  introduction  of  the  more  rapid  transportation  by  means 
of  the  cable  and  the  electric  car  greatly  increased  the  "riding 
habit''  of  the  people.  The  earnings  per  capita  showed  a  very 
gratifying  upward  tendency,  and  the  street  railway  business 
appeared  like  a  ''gold  mine."  Lines  were  projected  in  all  direc- 
tions, rights  of  way  were  secured,  franchises  were  obtained  and 
parallel  lines  were  built,  usually  competing  wita  those  already 
established.  The  total  length  of  track  increased  from  89  miles 
in  1891  to  337  miles  in  1896,  a  rate  of  growth  of  about  fifty  miles 
per  year,  which  is  nearly  three  times  the  yearly  rate  of  growth 
since  th^t  period. 

But  unfortunately  in  1893-4  came  the  hard  times  which  had 
a  very  depressing  effect  on  the  expected  earnings.  Competition  was 
keen,  resulting  inevitably  in  disastrous  rate-cutting.  During  this 
time  the  Fifth  Avenue  line  was  paralleled  by  a  line  on  Forbes 
Street.  Where  the  fare  had  previously  been  six  cents  up  to  the  City 
line  and  one  cent  per  mile  beyond,  competition  now  forced  the 
fare  down  to  four  cents,  resulting  in  losses  to  both  companies.  At 
the  same  time  another  line  was  built  out  Liberty  Avenue  and 
equipped  with  electricity  to  compete  with  the  Penn  Avenue 
cable  line. 


42       THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


SURFACE  TRACTION  DEVELOPMENT  43 


Period  of  Consolidation— 1896-1902. 

The  loss  of  business  during  the  panic  and  the  recognition 
of  the  inefficiency  of  competitive  systems,  with  separate  manage- 
ments, but  occupying  the  same  field,  brought  about  a  gradual  con- 
solidation. 

The  Consolidated  Traction  Company  was  chartered  on  July 
24th,  1895,  and  by  lease,  purchase  of  stock  or  assumption  of  prior 
obligations,  the  company  secured  the  control  of  187  miles  of 
trackage. 

The  United  Traction  Company  was  chartered  on  July  27th, 
1896,  and  in  a  similar  way  built  up  a  separate  operating  system 
of  157  miles  of  trackage. 

The  Philadelphia  Company  entered  the  street  railway  field  in 
October,  1899,  by  securing  the  stock  of  the  United  Traction 
Company.  Since  that  time  it  has  absorbed  the  Consolidated 
Traction  Company  and  nearly  all  of  the  other  street  railway 
properties  in  the  Pittsburgh  District. 

The  Southern  Traction  Company  was  chartered  in  1900  to 
consolidate  the  lines  of  the  West  End  Traction  Company,  and  under 
this  name  acquired  a  system  of  48.8  miles  of  track. 

The  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  was  the  name  adopted 
by  the  Southern  Traction  Company  on  December  30th,  1901,  and 
on  January  1st,  1902,  the  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  assumed 
control  as  an  operating  company  of  all  the  street  railway  proper- 
ties owned  and  controlled  by  the  Philadelphia  Company  with  the 
single  exception  of  the  Beaver  Valley  Traction  Company.  At 
this  time  the  entire  system  embraced  400.16  miles  of  single  track, 
and  the  earnings  were  $6,758,000  per  year. 

For  several  years  prior  to  the  combining  of  all  the  underly- 
ing companies,  the  earnings  had  been  increasing  each  year  at  an 
unprecedented  rate  and  the  future  of  the  united  system  was 
unquestionably  promising. 

Period  of  Combined  Operation — 1902-1910. 

For  the  first  two  years  after  the  formation  of  the  combined 
system,  the  results  were  all  that  could  be  expected.  The  service 
was  not  bad,  and  the  net  earnings  were  sufficient  to  pay  the  guar- 
anteed rentals  and  the  fixed  charges  for  interest  on  the  funded 
debt.  Then  came  the  panic  of  1903-4.  Earnings  fell  off,  but 
expenses  and  fixed  charges  did  not  decrease  in  proportion,  and  the 
result  was  a  deficit. 


44        THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


This  process  was  repeated  during  the  panic  commencing 
October,  1907.  In  the  meantime  extensions  had  been  made  at 
the  rate  of  about  20  miles  of  track  per  year.  The  result  has  been 
that,  in  an  attempt  to  save  for  fixed  charges  as  much  as  possible 
of  tffe  gross  earnings,  the  service  has  been  starved,  maintenance 
has  been  neglected  and  renewals  have  not  taken  place  as  regularly 
as  the  rolling  stock  and  other  parts  of  the  equipment  became 
obsolete. 

As  a  further  result  of  the  strenuous  objections  to  over-crowd- 
ing of  cars  made  by  the  city  authorities,  a  betterment  of  the 
service  has  been  brought  about  but  with  a  corresponding  accumu- 
lating increase  in  the  deficit  at  the  close  of  each  of  the  last  three 
years. 

CORPORATE   HISTORY  OF  ORGANIZATION. 

This  report  is  not  intended  to  cover  the  history  in  detail  of 
the  many  changes  in  ownership  and  operation  of  the  150  companies 
which  have  become  a  part  of  the  present  system,  but  the  results 
of  this  combination  of  interests  may  be  briefly  recapitulated  as 
follows: 

The  United  Railways  Investment  Company  was  incorporated 
under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  on  February  17,  1902. 
It  is  a  "holding  company"  formed  for  the  purpose  of  dealing  in 
the  stocks  and  bonds  of  other  corporations.  It  owns  all  the 
common  and  all  the  preferred  stock  of  the  United  Railroads  of 
San  Francisco,  and  in  1908  purchased  the  Stanislaus  Electric 
Power  Company  of  California.  In  1906  this  company  acquired 
$24,200,000  or  72.8  per  cent  of  the  outstanding  common  capital 
stock  of  the  Philadelphia  Company  of  Pittsburgh. 

The  Philadelphia  Company,  which  is  not  an  operating  com- 
pany, conducts  the  street  railway  business  in  the  cities  of  Greater 
Pittsburgh  and  McKeesport,  and  the  territory  adjacent  thereto, 
through  the  medium  of  the  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company,  whose 
stock  both  common  and  preferred,  is  owned  by  the  Philadelphia 
Company,  while  that  in  the  vicinity  of  Beaver  Falls  is  conducted 
through  the  medium  of  the  Beaver  Valley  Traction  Company, 
which  the  Philadelphia  Company  owns.  The  Washington  & 
Canonsburg  Company  was  made  a  part  of  the  Pittsburgh  Rail- 
ways Company  on  January  1st,  1909. 

The  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company,  was  incorporated  by 
Special    Act   of   Assembly,    approved  May    25th,    1871,    as    a 


SURFACE  TRACTION  DEVELOPMENT 


45 


''Surety  Contract  Company.''  On  June  15th,  1892,  all  its 
property,  rights  and  franchises  were  sold  by  the  Sheriff 
of  Philadelphia  County,  and  the  purchasers  reorganized  in 
accordance  with  the  Act  of  1873.  Letters  Patent  were  issued 
October  16,  1894.  On  December  31st,  1901,  the  name  of  Pitts- 
burgh Railways  Company  was  adopted.  It  is  one  of  the  seven  or 
eight  corporations  chartered  by  the  Legislature  of  1870-71  which 
are  known  by  the  generic  name  of  "Pennsylvania  Companies," 
all  of  which  have  very  broad  and  comprehensive  powers. 

Companies  subsidiary  to  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company.  All 
of  the  subsidiary  companies  were  incorporated  under  the  General 
Act  of  March  22nd,  1887,  and  most  of  them  were  reincorporated 
under  the  General  Act  of  May  14,  1889,  This  subsequent  Act 
provides  that  companies  may  be  incorporated  under  its 
provisions  for  the  purpose  of  constructing,  maintaining  and 
operating  street  railways  for  public  use  in  the  conveyance  of 
passengers  by  any  power,  other  than  locomotive,  on  any 
street  or  highway  now  laid  out,  or  to  be  laid  out,  upon  which  no 
track  is  laid  or  authorized  to  be  laid  under  any  existing  charter. 

The  incorporators  of  the  company  are  required  to  make  and 
sign  Articles  of  Association  in  which  shall  be  stated  the  name  of 
the  Company,  the  number  of  years  the  Company  is  to  continue, 
the  length  of  the  road,  the  streets,  highways  and  bridges  upon 
which  the  road  is  to  be  constructed. 

It  is  said  that  the  Act  confers  upon  a  company  incorporated 
under  its  provisions  an  exclusive  franchise  to  construct  and  operate 
a  street  railway  upon  the  route  named  in  its  Articles  of  Associa- 
tion, and  that  in  effect,  it  confers  perpetual  as  well  as  exclusive 
franchises,  for  the  reason  that  companies  may  be  incorporated 
with  a  perpetual  duration  to  their  corporate  life.  It  is  claimed 
that  the  street  railway  companies  subsidiary  to  the  Pittsburgh 
Railways  Company,  with  few  exceptions,  have  been  incorporated 
for  a  perpetual  duration,  or  for  a  period  of  time  extending  beyond 
900  years,  so  that  all  their  franchises,  with  these  exceptions 
are  practically  perpetual  in  their  duration. 

The  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  now  operates  as  one 
system  all  of  the  lines  formerly  operated  by  the  various  traction 
companies.  It  also  operates  under  agreements,  the  following 
named  companies,  whose  stock  is  all  owned  by  the  Philadelphia 
Company. 

Seventeenth  Street  Incline  Plane  Company. 
Pittsburgh  Southern  Street  Railway  Company. 
Tustin  Street  Railway  Company. 
Rosslyn  Street  Railway  Company. 


:! 


I  ] 


46       THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 

No  rentals  are  paid  to  the  companies  owned  by  the  Philadel- 
phia Company,  and  the  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  receives 
the  earnings  of  the  companies  owned  by  it.  Therefore,  with  the 
exception  of  the  rentals  paid  on  account  of  the  Consolidated  and 
the  United  Traction  systems,  the  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company 
pays  rentals  only  to  the  Pittsburgh  &  Castle  Shannon  Railroad 
Company. 

Under  leases  and  operating  contracts,  the  Pittsburgh  Rail- 
ways Company  guarantees  the  payment  of  interest  on  a  number 
of  underlying  mortgages  upon  property  not  belonging  to  the 
Consolidated  or  the  United  Traction  Company  systems. 

The  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  operates  the  Consoli- 
dated and  the  United  Traction  Companies  under  contracts 
which  may  be  terminated  at  any  time  on  three  months' notice 
bv  either  party.  These  contracts  obligate  the  Pittsburgh  Rail- 
ways Company  to  pay  dividends  upon  the  preferred  and  common 
stock  of  the  Consolidated  Traction  Company  at  the  respective 
rates  of  6%  and  2%  and  upon  the  preferred  and  common  stock 
of  the  United  Traction  Company  at  the  respective  rates  of  5  /o 
and  1%  The  Philadelphia  Company  receives  all  these  dividends 
with  the  exception  of  a  small  amount  which  goes  to  outsiders. 
These  contracts  also  obligate  the  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company 
to  pay,  in  addition  to  all  expenses  of  operation,  ordinary  main- 
tenance and  taxes,  State,  County  and  Municipal  all  interest 
and  rentals  which  the  ConsoHdated  and  the  Umted  Traction 
companies  are  obligated  to  pay  on  account  of  the  compames 
formerly  operated  by  them. 

The  Consolidated  Traction  Company  formerly  operated 
under  lease  or  through  stock  ownership  somethirty-fiveconipanies. 
On  stock  not  owned  by  itself  or  its  leased  or  owned  subsidiary 
companies  it  is  required  to  pay  rentals  on  the  property  of  about 
nine  companies,  the  stock  of  which  is  owned  largely  by  outsiders. 
It  guarantees  the  payment  of  principal  and  interest  on  bonds 
secured  by  about  eleven  mortgages  through  its  leases  or  through 
the  leases  of  the  Fort  Pitt  Traction  Company,  of  which  it  is  the 
owner  It  guarantees  payment,  through  its  leases,  of  interest- 
hut  not  principal-on  the  bonds  secured  by  five  mortgages. 

The  United  Traction  Company  formerly  operated  about 
thirty-two  companies  under  lease  through  stock  ownership.  On 
stock  not  owned  by  it  or  its  leased  or  owned  compames,  it  is  re- 
Quired  to  pay  rentals  on  the  property  of  about  nine  companies, 
the  stock  of  which  is  owned  largley  by  outsiders.     It  guarantees 


SURFACE  TRACTION  DEVELOPMENT 


47 


the  payment  of  the  principal  and  interest  on  bonds  secured  by 
about  fifteen  mortgages,  and  it  guarantees  the  payment  of  the 
interest,  but  not  the  principal  on  the  bonds  secured  by  about 
twelve  mortgages. 

Summary  of  Annual  Fixed  Charges. 

The  various  obligations  which  are  fixed  by  agreements  may 
be  classified  as  follows: 

Rentals  of  Leased  Property. 
Stock  owned  by  the  Philadelphia  Company  on  which  divi- 
dends in  the  form  of  rentals  are  guaranteed. 

Stock  owned  by  outsiders  on  which  dividends  in  the  form  of 
rentals  are  guaranteed. 

Rental  of  Pittsburgh  &  Castle  Shannon  Railroad  Company. 

These  obligations   aggregated   $2,278,869.21   for  the  fiscal 
year  ending  March  31st,  1910. 

Interest  on  Funded  Debt. 
Outstanding  bonds  and  mortgages  on  which  interest  is  guar- 
anteed of  the  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company,  the  Consolidated 
Traction  Company,   and  of  the  United  Traction  Company  or 
of  their  respective  subsidiaries. 

These  obligations  amounted  to  $1,869,989.90  for  the  fiscal 
year  ending  March  31,  1910. 

Miscellaneous  Interest  and  Discount. 
This  item  has  been  growing  from  $61,749.24  in  1903  to 
$435,765.95  in  1910. 

Car  Trust  Debentures. 
There  is  an  item  of  $40,000  per  year  for  the  retirement  of 
a  series  of  equipment  notes.     This  item  is  now  charged  to  Extra- 
ordinary Maintenance  Expense. 

State  Taxes. 
Five   mills   on   each  dollar  of   the  actual  value  of   entire 

capital  stock. 

Four  mills  on  each  dollar  of  interest  paid  to  residents  of 

the  state. 

Eight  mills  on  each  dollar  of  gross  receipts. 
City  Taxes. 

North  Side  Traction  Company  is  required  to  pay  the  city 
of  Allegheny  an  annual  tax  of  2%  on  its  gross  earnings. 


r 


1 


48       THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


A  similar  tax  upon  Cedar  Avenue  Street  Railway 

Howard  &  East  Street  Railway, 
Lacock  Street  Railway  Company 
Superior  Ave.  &  Shady  Ave.  St.  Ry.  Co. 

Other  companies  in  Allegheny  are  subject  to  a  car  tax  of 

$40.00  per  car  per  year.  ^.    ,     • 

Car  tax  in  the  City  of  Pittsburgh -for  all  hnes  entirely  m 
in  the  City— $60.00  per  year  per  car.  This  tax  was  subsequently 
raised  by  ordinance  of  1906  to  $100  per  car.  But  when  contested 
by  the  railway  company,  was  held  to  be  illegal.  Now  the  City  s 
right  to  collect  under  the  original  ordinance  is  still  in  dispute. 
Cars  on  lines  not  entirely  within  the  city— $30.00 

J-ifiYnij nil   tooCBS 

Various  taxes  are  assessed  by  the  individual  boroughs  such 
as  general  taxes,  pole  taxes,  wire  taxes  and  car  taxes. 


SURFACE  TRACTION  DEVELOPMENT 


49 


TERRITORIAL  GROWTH  OF  PITTSBURGH  BY  ANNEX- 
ATION. 


Key  No.         Territory  Date  of 

on  Map  Annexed  Entry 

1.  Borough  of  Pittsburgh..  .March    5,1804 
City  of  Pittsburgh -  -March  18,  1816 

2.  Northern  Liberties  Boro .  March    1,1837 

3.  Parts  of  Pitt  Township... Dec.      15,1846 

4.  Remainder  of  Pitt  Twp 
4-A  Peebles  Township  .... 
4-B  Liberty  Township    ... 

4-C  Collins  Township 

4-D  Oakland  Township .... 

4-E  Lawrenceville  Boro.. . . 


5.        Union  Borough 

5-A  Temperanceville  Boro . 

5-B  Mt.  Washington  Boro.. 

5-C  West  Pittsburgh  Boro. 

5-D  Monongahela  Boro .... 

5-E  South  PittsburghBoro . 

5-F  AUentown  Borough...  . 

5-G  Birmingham  Borough.. 

5-H  East  Birmingham  Boro 

5-1     St.  Clair  Borough 

5-J     Ormsby  Borough 


Annexed    Area 
Acres    Sq.Mi, 

[      320       0.50 


110 
700 


0.18 
1.09 


Total   Area 
Acres  Sq.Mi. 

320     0.50 

430     0.68 
1130     1.77 


►June     30,1868     13568     21.34     14788  23.11 


April     2,  1872         2684       4.20     17472  27.31 


6.  Brushton  Borough Dec.  1,1894  290  0.45  17762  27.76 

7.  Beltzhoover  Borough..  .  .Mar.  1,1898  190  0.30  17952  28.06 

8.  Elliott  Borough Jan.  2,  1905  203  0 .  32  18155  28 .  38 

9.  Esplen  Borough ..Jan.  8,1906  180  0.28  18335  28.66 

9-A  Sterrett  Township Jan.  8,1906  310  0.49  18645  29.15 

10.  Montooth  Borough Jan.  7,1907  73  0.11  18718  29.26 

11.  Sheraden  Borough Nov.  21,  1907  621  0.97  19339  30.23 

12.  City  of  Allegheny Dec.  6,  1907  5165  8.07  24504  38.30 

13.  West  Liberty  Borough..    Jan.  6,1908  1751  2.72  26255  41.02 

14.  Beechview  Borough Jan.  4,1909  210  0.33  26465  41.35 

Pittsburgh  is  often  referred  to  as  a  peninsular  city,  but  its 
recent  growth  into  "Greater  Pittsburgh"  has  brought  about  a 
change  from  a  one  sided  city  like  San  Francisco  to  one  with  a 
centrally  located  business  district.  Originally  expanding  to  the 
eastward  from  the  Point,  it  later  took  in  many  of  the  boroughs 
to  the  south,  and  recently  the  City  of  Allegheny.  Efforts  were 
made  as  early  as  1853  to  annex  Allegheny,  but  without  success. 

All  dates  of  annexation  are  given  in  the  plan  and  in  the 
accompanying  table  together  with  the  area  of  each  annexation. 


GROWTH  OF  PITTSBURGH  BY  ANNEXATION. 
Pittsburgh  was  first  laid  out  as  a  town  in  1784..  It  was  made  the 
County  Seat  in  1791,  incorporated  as  a  Borough  in  1794  and  chartered 
as  a  Cily  in  181G.  The  Greater  City  now  occupies  the  unique  position 
of  having  three  important  water  courses  converging  at  the  business 
center  These  rivers  divide  the  city  into  three  sections :  approximately 
23  square  miles  for  Pittsburgh  proper,  8  square  miles  for  North  Side, 
and  9  square  miles  for  South  Side;  total  41  square  miles. 


PITTSBURGH'S   IMMEDIATE 
TRANSIT  NEEDS. 

Discussing  causes  and  effects  oj  present  traction  conditions  and 
remedies  therejor — Definite  policy  needed  most — Public 
opinion  growing  more  enlightened — Development  oj  com- 
bined system — Present  dejects  due  to  overcapitalization  and 
expansion,  loss  oj  business  and  inconsistent  routing — 
City  attempting  to  regain  control  by  legislation — Progress 
oj  State  legislation  toward  regulation — Traction  reports  on 
Pittsburgh  Problem — Recommendations  oj  State  Railroad 
Commission— Conjerences  between  City  and  Company— 
Causes  oj  inactivity — Necessity  and  basis  jor  permanent 
settlement — A  suggested  program. 

Stated  in  the  briefest  possible  terms,  the  immediate  need  for 
transportation  in  Pittsburgh  is 

Something  Definite  jor  the  Present  Urwertainty. 

The  present  system  needs  more  cars  and  better  tracks.  The 
Company  evidently  needs  more  money  for  rehabilitation  and  addi- 
tional capital  for  improvements,  and  there  should  be  some  kind 
of  a  working  agreement  between  the  City  and  the  Company  in 
regard  to  service,  re-routing  and  new  connections.  But  where 
there  should  be  confidence,  certainty,  co-operation  and  progress 
we  find  instead  suspicion,  doubt,  controversy  and  delay. 

At  the  present  time,  the  situation  is,  to  say  the  least,  uncer- 
tain—both from  the  City's  and  from  the  Company's  standpoint. 
In  seeking  a  remedy  for  the  present  unsatisjactory  condition  oj 
service,  for  the  evident  hesitancy  on  the  part  of  the  company  to 
maintain  and  improve  its  property,  and  for  the  lack  oj  public  con- 
trol of  transit  facilities,  it  will  be  desirable  to  sketch  briefly  the 
combination  of  circumstances  which  have  contributed  to  the 
present  uncertain  situation. 


Development  of  Public  Opinion. 

It  is  instructive  to  note  first  the  development  of  the  attitude 
of  the  public  toward  the  public  utility  corporations  supplying 
transportation  to  the  District. 

The  first  charters  and  franchises,  dating  from  1859  to  1874 
were  issued  cautiously  and,  as  a  rule,  required  that  companies 


52       THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


'¥ 


keep  the  streets  (upon  which  their  tracks  were  laid)  clean  and  in 
perpetual  good  repair  from  curb  to  curb,  and  to  pay  a  tax  upon 
their  earnings  as  well  as  a  graduated  car  tax,  amounting  after  five 
years  to  $40.00  per  car  per  year.  A  number  of  these  first  fran- 
chises reserved  to  the  City  the  right  to  purchase  the  road  after  the 
expiration  of  twenty  years. 

From  1874  to  1887,  there  was  a  noticeable  falling  of!  in  the 
conditions  imposed  upon  new  street  passenger  railway  companies 
although  in  most  ordinances  passed  during  this  period  the  coni- 
panies  were  required  to  keep  the  streets  in  repair  between  their 
tracks  and  in  some  cases  they  were  also  required  to  pay  a  car  tax 
to  the  City. 

Beginning  about  1887,  however,  the  city's  gates  were  liter- 
ally let  down  and  franchises  were  granted  with  practically  no 
restrictions.  The  demands  of  the  community  for  transporta- 
tion were  pressing  and  those  in  control  of  the  city  government 
granted  franchises  practically  without  time  limit  or  other^  condi- 
tions. The  older  companies,  taking  advantage  of  the  city's  more 
liberal  policy  toward  traction  enterprises,  ceased  to  comply  with 
the  requirements  of  their  charters  and  franchises,  and  so  it  may 
be  said  that  during  the  period  from  1887  to  1902  the  City  prac- 
tically surrendered  to  the  Railway  Companies  its  rights  to  its 
own  streets. 

The  constitution  of  Pennsylvania  requires  all  street  railway 
companies  to  procure  the  consent  of  the  municipality  before 
constructing  their  roads,  and  the  courts  have  held  that  the  muni- 
cipality may  impose  any  conditions  it  pleases  to  the  granting  of 
this  consent.  Therefore,  the  City,  in  its  grants,  had  it  seen  fit  to 
do  so,  could  have  fixed  fares,  could  have  provided  transfers,  could 
have  regulated  the  number  of  passengers  to  be  carried  on  each 
car  and  could  have  provided  for  compensation,  and  in  other  ways 
could  have  retained  the  power  of  regulation  so  as  to  have  insured 
adequate  service.  But  through  the  eagerness  of  the  citizens 
to  secure  electric  trolley  lines  to  all  parts  of  the  city  and  the 
ability  of  the  promoters  to  secure  valuable  franchises,  these 
fundamental  rights  were  not  insisted  upon,  and  although  there  are 
a  few  minor  protests  on  record,  it  is  safe  to  conclude  that  the 
general  consensus  of  public  opinion  between  1887  and  1902  was 
in  favor  of  securing  the  benefits  of  the  trolley,  particularly  for 
the  outlying  districts  with  the  minimum  amount  of  regulation 
or  delay. 

The  period  from  1887  to  1902  was  also  an  era  of  consolida- 
tion with  its  attendant  rapid  increase  in  capitalization,  but  as 


IMMEDIATE  NEEDS 


53 


there  were  great  benefits  to  be  expected  from  the  amalgamation 
of  the  many  separate  companies  into  one  system  there  were  no 
difficulties  placed  in  the  way  of  this  series  of  combinations,  either 
by  legislative  acts,  city  ordinances  or  court  proceedings.  At  no 
time  in  the  history  of  the  combination  has  there  been  any  consist- 
ent effort  made  on  the  part  of  the  people  to  limit  capitalization 
or  to  inquire  into  the  terms  of  the  many  leases,  trackage  rights 
rentals  or  guaranteed  dividend  agreements,  which  are  part  of  the 
present  corporate  structure  of  the  railway  system. 

Apparently  at  no  time  has  there  been  an  effort  to  make  the 
City's  consent  a  necessary  part  of  the  transfer  of  franchises,  a 
provision  which  would  have  made  speculation  in  franchises  a 
much  more  difficult  matter,  nor  has  there  been  a  consistent  effort 
to  maintain  the  right  of  the  City  to  purchase  the  property  at  a 
fair  valuation — a  provision  which  would  have  tended  to  keep 
down  the  capitalization  to  somewhere  near  the  real  investment. 

Now  that  enlightened  public  opinion  is  beginning  to  under- 
stand the  necessity  of  complete  public  control,  it  seems  strange 
that  the  power  of  regulation  should  have  been  so  lightly  con- 
sidered at  the  time  of  granting  the  franchises. 

Development  of  Present  Combined  System. 

As  has  been  pointed  out  in  more  detail  in  other  parts  of  this 
report,  the  present  system,  operated  by  the  Pittsburgh  Railways 
Company,  is  the  result  of  a  combination  of  about  150  underlying 
transit  companies.  Many  of  these  lines  were  originally  horse 
car  lines,  and  some  passed  through  the  experience  of  being  rebuilt 
first  as  cable  lines  and  then  as  electric  trolley  lines.  The  original 
electric  equipment  often  proved  to  be  inadequate  and  has  been 
or  is  being  replaced  from  time  to  time.  The  cost,  of  all  these 
changes,  as  a  rule,  have  been  capitalized. 

The  introduction  of  the  electric  trolley  marked  the  extension 
of  the  lines  into  outljdng  districts  at  a  very  rapid  rat^,  and  the 
rugged  topography  of  the  District  made  these  extensions  com- 
paratively expensive,  particularly  as  the  costs  of  street  improve- 
ment by  the  railway  company  was  often  made  a  condition  of  the 
grants  in  outljdng  boroughs. 

Following  the  tendency  of  all  systems  of  this  kind  toward 
a  combination  and  monopoly  control  of  the  transit  situation, 
the  original  companies  were  combined  into  three  separate  sys- 
tems. This  was  done  by  means  of  purchase  of  stock,  by  leases 
for  long  periods,  by  operating  agreements  and  by  guaranteed 
dividends.     In  1902  these  three  companies  were  brought  under 


f? 

it; 


I' 


•f 


54       THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


IMMEDIATE  NEEDS 


55 


the  control  of  the  Philadelphia  Company,  and  the  operation  of 
the  combined  system  turned  over  to  the  Pittsburgh  Railways 
Company.  In  1906,  at  about  the  same  time,  the  control  of  the 
Philadelphia  Company  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  United 
Railways  Investment  Company. 

Development  of  Present  Defects. 

There  is  no  one  thing  that  can  be  said  to  be  the  chief  cause 
of  the  present  troubles.  The  weakness  seems  to  be  inherent  to 
the  method  of  organization  rather  than  the  result  of  any  superfi- 
cial defects  which  can  be  easily  remedied. 

Non-Paying  Extensions,  In  an  effort  to  cover  the  terri- 
tory and  keep  out  competition,  or  possibly,  as  has  often  happened 
in  other  cities,  to  enhance  the  value  of  real  estate  in  certain  locali- 
ties, a  number  of  lines  have  been  built  in  advance  of  an  actual 
demand  sufficient  to  justify  them,  and  these  pioneer  lines  must 
be  carried  for  a  period  of  time  until  the  District  develops.  The 
whole  system  may  he  said  to  be  over  expanded. 

Overcapitalization,  In  order  to  bring  about  a  consolidation 
of  the  many  separate  subsidary  companies  into  one  system, 
rentals  were  agreed  upon  in  a  form  of  a  guaranteed  dividend 
on  stock  which  was  often  part  "water."  Companies  have  been 
absorbed  with  considerable  profit  to  their  former  owners,  and  in 
raising  money  on  bonds,  rates  of  interest  have  been  high  and 
discounts  Hberal.  Although  the  present  property  consists  of 
581  miles  of  single  track,  a  new  system  consisting  of  about  550 
miles  could  probably  be  produced  which  would  render  equally  as 
good  or  better  service  at  a  cost  of  about  $100,000  per  mile  or 
$55,000,000,  which  is  about  half  the  capitalization  of  the  present 
system. 

As  a  general  rule  the  actual  investment  in  a  surface  system 
should  not  exceed  $5.00  for  each  dollar  of  probable  annual  earn- 
ings. Pittsburgh's  earnings  are  now  approaching  $20,000  per 
mile  of  single  track  actually  operated,  and  the  investment  should 
therefore  be  limited  to  an  average  of  about  $100,000  per  mile 
until  the  earnings  increase. 

The  actual  capitalization  of  the  system  is  not  important  as 
there  are  some  of  the  securities  upon  which  dividends  have  never 
been  paid.     But  the  amount  of  "fixed  charges,"  consisting  of 


interest  and  guaranteed  dividends,  is  the  figure  which  should  be 
studied.  For  the  last  fiscal  year  (ending  March  31,  1910),  these 
fixed  charges  were  as  follows: 

Rentals  of  leased  property $2,278,869.21 

Interest  on  Funded  Debt  of  Pittsburgh 
Railways  Company  and  leased  Com- 
panies  1,869,989.90 

Miscellaneous  Interest  and  Discount. . . .     435,756.85 

Total  "fixed  charges". $4,584,615.96 

On  a  basis  of  5%  return,  these  fixed  charges  would  justify  a 
capitalization  of  about  $92,000,000,  but  the  net  earnings  after  de- 
ducting operating  expenses  and  extraordinary  repairs  were  not  suf- 
ficient to  pay  all  of  the  fixed  charges.  The  "deficit"  for  the  year 
amounted  to  $1,321,453.13— bringing  the  amount  for  fixed  charges 
actually  earned  down  to  $3,263,162.83.  This  figure,  capital- 
ized at  5%,  would  amount  to  $65,263,000;  or  if  capitalized  at  6% 
instead  of  5%,  then  the  capitalization  of  the  Company  as  determ- 
ined by  its  earning  capacity  would  be  $54,200,000,  which  is  about 
the  figure  that  would  produce  a  new  property  equally  as  good  as 
the  present  property  for  serving  the  District,  It  must  be  under- 
stood of  course  that  the  present  value  of  the  property  is  not 
as  great  as  the  reproduction  value  new  of  the  present  property ,  but  it 
should  also  be  understood  that  the  rate  of  return  on  the  in- 
vestment, whatever  may  be  considered  fair,  should  be  figured  on 
the  present  value  of  the  property  plus  the  cost  to  rehabilitate  and 
improve  it  so  as  to  put  in  first  class  up-to-date  condition.  This 
conception  of  a  "fair  return"  on  the  investment  presupposes  an 
obligation  on  the  part  of  the  Company  to  take  care  of  deprecia- 
tion out  of  earnings  as  it  occurs. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  as  the  railway  system  was  operated 
last  year,  the  actual  net  earnings  cannot  be  said  to  be  ex- 
cessive, although  the  question  naturally  arises — how  is  the  deficit 
of  over  a  million  dollars  to  be  financed  and  what  provision  is  to 
be  made  for  past,  present  and  future  depreciation? 

Depreciation  Account.  During  the  eight  years  the  present 
company  has  been  in  control,  only  about  one  million  dollars  of 
its  earnings  have  been  put  back  into  the  property  to  take  care 
of  renewals,  whereas  the  deterioration  of  the  property  due 
to  causes  other  than  ordinary  wear  and  tear  has  been  going 
on  at  the  rate  of  at  least  a  million  dollars  per  year.  While 
several  million  dollars  have  been  expended  by  the  Company 
for  renewals  during  this  period,  this  money,  which  should  have 
been   taken   from    earnings,  was  not  available  owing   to   the 


I'       I 


'» 


i 


56       THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


high  fixed  charges  which  were  agreed  upon  at  the  time  of  the 
consolidation  of  the  various  underlying  companies  constitut- 
ing the  present  system  operated  by  the  Pittsburgh  Railways 
Company.  It  was  apparently  necessary,  therefore,  for  the  present 
management  of  the  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  to  raise  this 
money  by  adding  it  to  Capital  account,  with  the  result  that  possi- 
ble permanent  improvements,  such  as  new  cars  and  better  tracks — 
for  which  it  could  otherwise  have  been  expended— were  delayed. 
This  Jailure  to  take  care  oj  renewals  out  oj  earnings  is  one  of  the 
chief  causes  of  the  present  defective  condition  of  the  property. 

Loss  of  Business.  The  gross  earnings  have  not  been  as 
great  as  was  expected  at  the  time  of  consolidation,  as  two 
periods  of  business  depression  have  affected  the  entire  District 
during  the  past  eight  years.  At  the  same  time,  the  efforts  of 
the  Company  to  curtail  expenses,  in  order  to  offset  the  loss  in 
anticipated  earnings,  has  resulted  in  relatively  reduced  service 
and  neglected  maintenance  of  equipment.  The  natural  effect 
has  been  cumulative,  and  the  dropping  off  in  business  has  been 
more  marked  than  it  would  have  been  if  the  quality  and  amount 
of  service  had  not  been  so  decidedly  reduced. 

The  Company  has  thus  lost  the  good  will  of  the  patrons 
which  should  be  one  of  its  best  assets,  and  the  forbidding  appear- 
ance of  some  of  its  cars  is  having  a  depressing  effect  on  the  busi- 
ness. This  condition  is,  however,  being  slowly  improved  by  the 
gradual  addition  of  new  and  larger  cars. 

Inconsistent  Routing.  The  routing  of  the  cars  is  the  result 
of  development  and  not  of  design.  More  cars  are  run  on  some 
main  streets  than  are  needed,  and  at  other  places  there  is  a 
decided  lack  of  cars.  The  looping  in  the  terminal  or  down 
town  district  leads  to  congestion,  and  the  effort  to  operate 
cars  '"direct"  from  one  locality  to  other  localities  causes  con- 
fusion, and  often  infrequent  service.  The  forcing  of  passengers 
to  use  certain  routes  by  curtailing  the  transfer  privilege  is 
inconvenient,  resulting  in  long  waits  on  the  part  of  the  patrons, 
with  resulting  dissatisfaction.  The  lack  of  through  routes 
across  the  business  district,  serving  the  short  haul  busi- 
ness, is  not  in  accordance  with  the  best  accepted  practice. 
The  existence  of  routing  agreements  between  the  various  com- 
panies, the  franchise  requirements  for  certain  service  in  the  out- 
lying boroughs,  the  lack  of  turning  facilities  at  the  ends  of  some 
of  the  lines  and  the  narrow  streets  which  prevent  the  running  of 
modern  double  truck  cars,  are  disadvantages  which  should  be 
removed  or  modified. 

Cumulative  Effects.  It  will  be]  seen  that  the  longer  this 
situation  is  allowed  to  drift  the  greater  becomes  the  accunau- 


IMMEDIATE  NEEDS 


57 


lation  of  difficulties,  in  fact  they  accrue  at  what  might  be 
termed  a  compound  rate.  Rebuilding  follows  redesign,  capi- 
tal is  added  to  capital,  combination  follows  competition, 
operating  losses  follow  non  paying  extensions,  rentals  in  the 
form  of  guaranteed  dividends  are  paid  to  take  over  prior 
leases,  capitalization  increases  and  stock  is  issued  as  collateral 
for  guaranteed  bonds,  wear  and  tear  is  neglected  until  the 
equipment  becomes  either  practically  scrap  or  an  excessive  bur- 
den for  repair,  depreciation  is  not  recognized  and  obsolescence  of 
equipment  is  followed  by  constantly  growing  losses  of  possible 
patronage  due  to  inefficiency.  A  falling  off  in  business  is  followed 
at  once  with  a  withdrawal  of  cars,  which  causes  a  still  further  re- 
duction in  patronage.  Next  comes  the  cutting  down  of  the  ex- 
pense of  cleaning,  of  inspection  and  of  repair,  and  more  cars  break 
down  and  drop  out  of  service,  general  dissatisfaction  takes  the 
place  of  pride,  and  the  riding  habit  of  the  community  is  reduced 
to  the  demands  of  actual  necessity.  Thus  if  something  is  not 
done  to  check  the  cumulative  results  of  these  serious  defects,  the  use- 
fulness of  the  railway  as  a  public  utility  will  rapidly  diminish. 

Development  of  City  Legislation. 

After  losing  the  control  of  the  situation  by  neglecting  fran- 
chise requirements  there  has  been  an  effort  from  time  to  time 
to  exercise  the  police  and  taxing  power  of  the  City  by  means  of 
ordinances. 

An  ordinance  in  1890  imposed  certain  regulations  as  to  the 
running  of  the  cars,  the  construction  of  the  track  and  the  placing 
of  poles  and  wires.  This  ordinance  also  required  the  companies 
to  pave  and  keep  in  good  repair  that  portion  of  the  streets  between 
their  tracks  and  one  foot  outside.  The  Company  now  complies 
with  some  of  the  provisions  of  this  ordinance  and,  as  to  others, 
principally  that  relating  to  street  paving,  disputes  exist  between 
the  Company  and  the  City. 

An  ordinance  in  1893  imposed  a  license  tax  of  $60.00  per 
car  per  year  upon  cars  wholly  operated  within  the  city,  and  $30.00 
p^r  car  per  year  on  cars  operated  only  partly  within  the  city 
limits.  The  Company  and  its  predecessors  paid  this  tax  for  some 
years,  but  now  refuse  to  pay  on  the  ground  that  the  amendment 
of  1906,  referred  to  below,  repealed  this  ordinance. 

In  1903,  an  ordinance  was  passed  imposing  a  tax  of  25  cents 
per  foot  upon  each  lineal  foot  of  street  railway  track  laid  and 
maintained  in  the  city,  but  this  tax  was  held  to  be  invalid  by  the 
State  Supreme  Court  on  the  ground  that  the  ordinance  attempt- 


I 


"i 


58       THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


ed  to  impose  a  property  as  distinguished  from  a  license  tax  and 
that  the  City  had  no  power  to  tax  such  property  under  its  charter. 

In  1906  an  ordinance  was  passed  amending  the  car  license 
tax  ordinances  of  1893  and  raising  the  amount  of  the  tax  to 
$100.00  per  car  per  annum,  but  this  ordinance  was  also  held  to 
be  invalid  on  substantially  the  same  grounds  as  above  noted. 

In  1910  there  have  been  a  number  of  regulating  ordinances 
passed  and  these  ordinances  are  now  before  the  court  for  adju- 
dication. One  of  these  ordinances  requires  the  Company  to  issue 
transfers  so  as  to  enable  a  passenger  to  ride  between  two  points 
within  the  city  for  a  single  five  cent  fare.  This  ordinance  was 
held  invahd  in  the  lower  court  on  the  ground  that  the  City  had  no 
power  to  enact  it  under  its  charter. 

Other  ordinances  limit  the  number  of  standing  passengers 
which  may  be  carried  in  any  one  car,  requires  the  Company  to 
operate  a  sufficient  number  of  cars  so  that  patrons  should  not 
have  to  wait  more  than  fifteen  minutes  for  a  seat  and  requires 
the  Company  to  keep  their  cars  clean  and  in  good  condition.  Suits 
are  now  pending  to  determine  the  legality  of  these  ordinances. 

A  recent  ordinance  declares  the  rights  of  the  Pittsburgh, 
Oakland  &  East  Liberty  Passenger  Railway  Company,  and  its 
successors  to  be  forfeited  in  certain  streets  of  the  City  for  the  fail- 
ure to  comply  with  the  conditions  in  its  charter  and  ordinances 
of  the  City  requiring  the  Company  to  keep  the  streets  in  good  re- 
pair, to  pay  a  percentage  of  the  earnings  to  the  City  and  also  to 

pay  a  car  tax. 

Suits  of  City  against  Companies.  A  number  of  suits  in  the 
courts  are  pending.  The  City  has  attempted  in  one  of  these  suits 
to  prevent  the  Company  from  bringing  into  the  city  the  cars  of 
suburban  lines  which  have  no  charter  or  franchise  rights  within 

the  city. 

Suits  are  pending  for  the  recovery  of  about  $850,000  alleged 
to  be  due  the  City  by  virtue  of  the  conditions  in  the  charters  of 
the  companies  and  the  ordinances  of  the  City  requiring  them  to 
keep  the  streets  along  the  tracks  clean. 

There  are  also  suits  pending  to  fix  the  amount  of  compensa- 
tion to  be  paid  by  the  Companies  to  the  City  for  the  use  of  bridges 

owned  by  it. 

The  City  has  recently  filed  a  bill  in  equity  against  the  Pitts- 
burgh Railways  Company  seeking  to  compel  the  Company  to 
place  in  repair  that  part  of  the  streets  of  the  City  occupied  by  its 
tracks  and  also  to  place  its  tracks  in  a  state  of  good  repair  and  to 
use  modern  methods  of  construction  in  this  work. 


IMMEDIATE  NEEDS  59 


Development  of  State  Legislation, 

Prior  to  1905,  parties  organizing  street  railway  companies 
specified  the  proposed  route  in  their  application  for  a  charter  and 
obtained  municipal  consent  after  the  charter  was  granted.  Since 
that  date,  municipal  consent  must  be  obtained  before  the  charter 
is  applied  for.  Previous  to  1905  the  Company  simply  authorized 
the  construction  of  extensions  by  resolution  of  its  Board,  but  in 
1905  a  change  was  made  in  the  method  of  obtaining  authority 
for  constructing  extensions  by  requiring  the  approval  of  the 
Governor.  The  consent  of  the  local  authorities  has  always  been 
required,  however,  to  the  construction  of  extensions,  as  in  the  case 
of  the  original  road. 

At  the  same  session  of  the  legislature,  1905,  a  change  was 
made  as  to  the  tracks  of  other  companies  which  street  railway 
companies  might  use,  by  requiring  the  consent  of  the  other  com- 
panies to  such  use.  Before  that  time,  companies  might  use  por- 
tions of  the  tracks  of  other  companies  (at  one  time  such  portion 
was  fixed  at  2500  feet)  without  the  consent  of  such  other  compan- 
ies for  terminal  and  other  purposes. 

The  Act  of  1901  authorized  companies  to  lay  out  routes 
upon  streets  where  tracks  were  not  in  constant  daily  use  and  for- 
bade the  granting  of  charter  rights  upon  such  streets  to  other 
companies  during  the  time  which  said  first  companies  had  to 
begin  and  complete  their  work.  By  this  Act  companies  were 
given  two  years  in  which  to  obtain  municipal  consent,  two  years 
more  in  which  to. begin  work,  and  five  years  in  which  to  complete 
their  road.  These  provisions  were  amended  by  the  Act  of  1905, 
which  imposed  no  time  limit  for  the  completion  of  the  road,  but 
provided  that  if  the  company  should  not  complete  its  road  within 
the  time  fixed  by  the  municipality,  it  should  be  deemed  to 
have  abandoned  the  portion  not  so  completed,  but  should  have 
the  right  to  operate  the  remaining  portion. 

In  1907  an  Act  was  passed  authorizing  contracts  between 
municipalities  and  street  railway  companies  fixing  the  relative 
rights,  duties  and  liabilities  of  the  parties  and  providing  for  the 
acquisition  of  the  property  and  franchises  of  the  companies  by 
the  municipality. 

At  this  1907  session  the  following  Acts  also  were  passed : 

Act  empowering  street  railway  companies  to  carry  light 
freight  and  express  matter  subject  to  regulation  by  the  local 
authorities. 

Act  conferring  upon  these  companies  the  power  of  eminent 


60       THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


111 


domain  and  making  them  common  carriers  of  light  freight  and 
express  matter.  Incidentally  this  act  allowed  street  railways 
to  be  built  upon  private  property. 

Act  limiting  the  rate  of  fare  in  cities  of  second  class  to  five 
cents  for  a  continuous  ride  in  one  car. 

In  1909  two  Acts  were  passed,  one  allowing  such  companies 
to  carry  all  kinds  of  freight  and  the  other  permitting  them  to 
connect  their  tracks  with  the  tracks  of  steam  railroads  and  to  inter- 
change traffic.     In  both  cases,  municipal  consent  was  required. 

Development  of  State  Regulation. 

Under  the  Constitution  of  1874  and  subsequent  legislation, 
the  Secretary  of  Internal  Affairs  of  the  Commonwealth  is  empower- 
ed to  require  corporations  to  report  to  him  in  such  detail,  practi- 
cally, as  he  shall  see  fit,  and  recently  that  official  has  required  all 
street  railway  corporations  to  report  in  compliance  with  the 
standard  form  of  report  for  electric  railways  approved  by  the 
Street  Railway  Accountants  Association  in  October,  1902,  and 
adopted  by  the  National  Association  of  Railway  Accountants 
in  1903.  These  reports  are  a  step  in  advance  of  what  the  Depart- 
ment has  required  heretofore.  This  official  is  authorized,  under 
the  Act  of  1874,  in  case  any  citizen  shall  charge,  under  oath,  any 
corporation  with  transcending  its  corporate  functions  or  infringing 
upon  the  rights  of  individual  citizens,  to  investigate  such  charges 
and  require  from  such  corporation  a  special  report,  and  in  case  he 
believes  the  charges  are  just  and  the  matters  complained  of  are 
beyond  the  ordinary  province  of  individual  redress,  he  shall  certify 
his  opinion  to  the  Attorney  General  of  the  State,whose  duty  it  shall 
be,  by  an  appropriate  legal  remedy,  to  redress  the  same  by  a 
proceeding  in  the  courts  at  the  expense  of  the  State.  He  may 
also,  in  case  of  doubt,  call  before  him  witnesses  and  examine  them, 
under  oath  or  affirmation,  reducing  their  testimony  to  writing 
and  filing  the  same,  to  explain  the  reason  of  his  action  in  any  case. 

In  1907,  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  enacted  a  law  establish- 
ing a  Railroad  Commission,  with  power  to  inquire  into  the  acts 
of  railroads  including  street  railways  and  certain  other  public 
corporations,  to  ascertain  whether  or  not  they  were  complying 
with  the  conditions  of  their  charters,  were  fulfilling  their  corpor- 
ate obligations,  were  usurping  powers  not  conferred  upon  them, 
or  were  guilty  of  practices  which  were  unfair  or  unjust,  in  rela- 
tion to  fixing  of  rates,  and  all  other  matters  relating  to  trans- 
portation. 

This  Commission  'has  the  power  to  decide  what  practices,  m 


IMMEDIATE  NEEDS 


61 


relation  to  transportation,  are  fair,  and  to  make  recommenda- 
tions fixing  the  standards  of  service  to  be  observed  by  the  corpora- 
tions subject  to  its  jurisdiction.  In  case  the  Commission  finds 
the  corporations  are  not  complying  with  the  conditions  of  their 
charters,  or  are  usurping  powers  not  granted  to  them,  the  Com- 
mission is  to  report  the  matter  to  the  Attorney  General.  The 
powers  of  the  Commission  under  the  Act  are  somewhat  vague  and 
the  methods  of  putting  its  recommendations  into  force  are  still 
more  vague.  The  courts  have  not  been  called  upon  to  pass  upon 
any  case  as  yet  where  the  corporation  refused  to  comply  with 
the  recommendation  of  the  Commission,  and  the  course  to  be 
followed  in  such  a  case  is  a  matter  of  some  doubt.  This  Act 
enables  the  Commission  to  inquire  into  proposed  stock  and  bond 
issues,  but  does  not  give  them  any  right  to  regulate  the  same  or 
impose  conditions  upon  them. 

Investigation  and  Reports. 

Within  the  last  five  years,  more  or  less  official  notice  has 
been  taken  of  the  transit  situation  in  Pittsburgh  as  evidenced 
by  the  following  list  of  communications. 

Report  on  Transit  Conditions  by  Sub  Committee  on 

Rapid  Transit  to  the  Mayor,  Geo.  W.  Guthrie.  .Feb.  4,  1907 

The  Transit  Situation  in  Pittsburgh,  an  article  in 

Pittsburgh  Survey  Report,  by  John  P.  Fox Feby.,  1909 

Message  of  the  Mayor,  Geo.  W.  Guthrie  to  Councils    March  8,  1909 

Report  of  Stone  &  Webster,  Consulting  Engineers 
to  Pennsylvania  State  Railroad  Commission Feby.  20,  1909 

Recommendations  of  the  Pennsylvania  State  Rail- 
road Commission April  24,  1909 

Report  of  Henry  C.  Wright  to  Mayor  Wm.  A.  Magee,  Aug.  21, 1909 

Communication   to   Pennsylvania    State    Railroad 

Commission  by  Mayor  William  A.  Magee Nov.  29,  1909 

Report  on  City  Planning  for  Pittsburgh  to  Pitts- 
burgh Civic  Commission  by  Messrs.  Olmstead, 
Freeman  and  Arnold Dec.  11,  1909 

Report  to  Pennsylvania  State  Railroad  Commission 
by  Emil  Swensson March  26,  1910 

Reply  of  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company May  10,  1910 

Communication  to  Pennsylvania  State  Railroad 
Commission  by  Mayor  William  A.  Magee May  10,  1910 

Recommendations  of  Pennsylvania  State  Railroad 
Commission June  24,  1910 

Reply  of  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company Aug.  11,  1910 


|i 

■J 

I 

I. 


I 


i 


62       THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


Recommendations  of  State  Railroad  Commission. 

As  the  result  of  two  investigations  following  complaints 
made  by  Mayor  Guthrie  and  Mayor  Magee,  the  following  rec- 
ommendations have  been  made  by  the  State  Commission: 

RECOMMENDATIONS  OF  APRIL  24TH,  1909. 

** First:  That  additional  service  be  provided  by  the  Railways 
Company  during  the  period  commonly  known  as  the  "rush  hours" 
on  the  following  routes  and  to  the  exact  amount  indicated  oppo- 
site each: 

TRIPPERS 
ROUTE.  DESIGNATION.  PER  HOUR. 

203  Heidelberg 3 

204  Crafton — Ingram 3 

205  Crafton— Thornburg 3 

213  Mount  Washington  via  Tunnel 6 

307  ArUngton  Avenue  4 

403  Wilmerding  via  Homestead 2 

706  Wilkinsburg  via  Frankstown  Avenue  5 

714  East  Liberty  Express  via  Liberty  Avenue 5 

1,001  Sharpsburg  via  Penn  Avenue 5 

104  California  Avenue  to  Avalon  and  Emsworth 4 

207  Elliott  and  Sheraden 4 

303  Knoxville  via  Tunnel 6 

901  Wylie,  Bedford  and  Herron  Avenues 5 

The  maximum  number  of  cars  on  the  most  congested  loop 
with  this  increased  schedule  would  be  one  hundred  and  twenty 
(120)  per  hour.  Car  movements  will  necessarily  have  to  be  facili- 
tated in  every  possible  way  to  get  satisfactory  service  from  this 
headway,  and  the  actual  schedule  of  the  different  routes  may  have 
to  be  modified  to  properly  take  care  of  the  increased  number  of 
cars;  this,  however,  is  an  operating  matter  to  be  worked  out  by 
the  traffic  department  of  the  Company. 

Wherever  possible,  the  long,  double  truck  cars  should  be 
substituted  for  the  smaller  ones,  and  a  still  greater  improvement 
in  the  service  would  be  thus  effected. 

Second:  That  the  Company  station  inspectors  at  every 
important  point  and  that,  so  far  as  practicable,  the  municipal 
authorities  secure  to  these  Inspectors  the  authority  to  regulate 
the  headways  of  cars  on  the  various  lines,  to  the  end  that  a  closer 
adherence  to  schedule  may  be  maintained. 


IMMEDIATE  NEEDS 


63 


Third:  That  all  important  junctions  in  the  terminal  dis- 
trict electrically  operated  switches  be  introduced,  or  that  the 
switches  now  in  place  be  operated  by  employes  of  the  Company 
other  than  those  engaged  in  the  operation  of  the  cars. 

Fourth:  That  the  Company  endeavor  to  at  once  improve 
the  lighting  arrangements  in  the  short  cars,  and  give  more  care- 
ful attention  to  the  heating  and  ventilation  of  all  cars. 

Fifth:  That  every  legitimate  effort  should  be  made  to  secure 
the  speedy  abolition  of  all  grade  crossings  of  steam  railroad  lines." 

RECOMMENDATIONS  OF  JUNE  24th,  1910 


1.  *That  50  additional  closed  motor  cars  of  56-seat  capacity 
be  ordered  at  once  for  delivery  as  speedily  as  possible. 

2.  That  all  cars  be  distributed  over  practicable  routes  ac- 
cording to  the  amount  of  travel,  and  during  rush  hours  be  scheduled 
to  meet  so  far  as  possible  the  demands  thereof;  and  that,  outside 
of  the  morning  and  evening  rush  hours,  a  sufficient  number  of 
cars  be  run  on  all  routes  to  accommodate  the  travel  comfortably. 

3.  That  hereafter  there  be  annual  additions  to  the  rolling 
stock  amply  sufficient  to  provide  for  any  increase  in  travel  and 
to  supply  the  loss  from  wear  and  tear. 

4.  That  so  far  as  the  character  of  the  various  routes  per- 
mits and  the  travel  thereon  requires,  and  as  the  wear  and  tear 
of  the  rolling  stock  demands  its  renewal,  the  old  28-seat  car 
should  be  replaced  by  the  56-seat  or  other  equally  good  large 
type  of  cars. 

5.  That  routing  and  re-routing  and  the  operation  of  short 
runs  should  be  carefully  studied  and,  from  time  to  time,  experi- 
mented with,  as  the  City,  the  other  municipalities  concerned, 
and  the  Company  may  find  advisable  and  practicable,  until  the 
best  arrangement  thereof  is  determined,  and  that  thereupon 
publication  be  made  of  the  several  routes  and  the  services  thereon 
for  the  convenient  information  and  guidance  of  the  patrons,  and 
that  wherever  now  practicable,  or  hereafter  rendered  so,  the 
terminal  loops  be  shortened,  the  number  of  stops  thereon  de- 
creased and  the  crossings  of  loops  by  each  other  avoided. 

6.  That  all  cars  be  regularly  and  thoroughly  cleaned  both 
inside  and  outside  each  day,  with  such  additional  cleaning  during 
the  day  as  the  circumstances  demand  and  permit,  and  that  ample 
provision  be  made  for  prompt  and  full  repairs  as  they  may  be 
required. 


i 


W   1 


I? 


64       THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 

7.  That  the  roadbed  be  maintained  in  first  class  condition, 
and  that  the  power  plants  be  made  sufficient  for  every  demand. 

8.  That  persistent  endeavor  be  made  to  keep  the  cars  on 
schedule  time.    This  is  regarded  as  very  important. 

9.  That  the  Company  promptly  determine  the  additional 
franchise  privileges  it  regards  as  necessary  for  the  most  satisfac- 
tory and  efficient  service,  and  then  make  application  to  the  re- 
spective municipal  authorities  for  the  grant  thereof,  and  persist 
in  efforts  to  obtain  the  same  until  a  definite  conclusion  is  reached. 

10.  That  the  endeavor  to  eliminate  grade  crossings  of  steam 
railroads  be  prosecuted  vigorously. 

11.  That  proper  and  adequate  provision  be  made  for  the 
storage  of  cars  near  the  terminal  district,  so  that  the  cars  can  be 
readily  run  in  for  short  trips  and  for  the  rush  hour  service." 

Conferences  Between  City  and  Company, 

In  accordance  with  the  suggestion  of  the  Railroad  Commis- 
sion that  ''the  City  and  Company  should  make  an  effort  to  adjust 
all  differences  and  make  all  reasonable  agreements  and  contracts 
necessary  to  accomplish  the  estabUshment  of  harmonious  rela- 
tions and  a  very  satisfactory  trolley  service,"  the  following  letter 
was  recently  sent  to  the  Railways  Company  by  the  Mayor  of 
Pittsburgh. 

Pittsburgh,  Penna.,  October  14th,  1910 

Mr.  J.  D.  Callery,  President, 

The  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company, 
Pittsburgh,  Penna. 

Dear  Sir: 

As  Mr.  Arnold  is  about  concluding  his  study  of  the  surface 
traction  situation  in  Pittsburgh  and  as  you  are  no  doubt  making 
your  plans  for  winter  traffic,  I  beg  now  to  suggest  that  the  time 
has  arrived  for  the  Railways  Company  and  the  City  to  undertake 
the  discussions  of  the  various  questions  involved  between  them 
and  particulariy  with  reference  to  those  matters  included  in  the 
two  recommendations  of  the  Railroad  Commission.  I  will 
attempt  to  enumerate  all  of  the  questions  which  I  consider  to  be 
the  most  important  but  I  do  not  do  so  in  any  sense  that  they 
should  be  exclusive  of  others  which  you  desire  to  raise.     I  beg 

to  suggest: 

First:  That  you  acquaint  me  with  whatever  changes  and 
experiments  that  have  been  made  or  are  being  made  in  accord- 
ance with  the  directions  of  the  Railroad  Commission. 


M 


i:t\    i 


IMMEDIATE  NEEDS 


65 


Second:  That  you  furnish  me  with  a  list  of  the  additional 
franchise  privileges  which  you  regard  as  necessary. 

Third:  That  you  furnish  me  with  a  list  of  the  locations 
of  the  one  (100)  hundred  new  cars  ordered  a  year  and  a  half  ago 
which  presumably  have  all  been  delivered  by  this  time  and  what 
provisions  has  been  made  for  additional  power. 

Fourth:  That  you  furnish  me  with  a  statement  of  your 
intentions  with  regard  to  the  fifty  (50)  trailers  to  be  delivered 
during  the  current  month. 

Fifth:  That  you  inform  me  how  far  advanced  the  fifty  (50) 
motor  cars  are  which  were  ordered  to  be  secured  by  the  Railroad 
Commission. 

Sixth:  That  you  inform  me  what  boroughs  or  municipali- 
ties have  been  requested  by  the  Railways  Company  to  grant  con- 
sent for  improvements  and  the  nature  of  the  improvements 
without  which  certain  changes  cannot  be  effected  within  the  city. 
I  am  referring  now  to  that  statement  of  yours  in  your  communi- 
cation to  the  Railroad  Commission. 

Seventh:  That  you  make  arrangements  to  have  a  repre- 
sentative of  yours  meet  with  a  representative  of  the  City  for  the 
purpose  of  attempting  a  more  equitable  distribution  of  the  existing 
and  prospective  cars  during  the  rush  hours;  for  a  conference  upon 
re-routing  and  short  runs  and  upon  the  further  extension  of  street 
regulation. 

Eighth:  That  the  Director  of  the  Department  of  Public 
Works  be  brought  in  touch  with  the  proper  officials  of  the  Rail- 
ways Company  to  confer  upon  the  various  questions  of  street 
repaving  and  track  construction. 

Ninth:  That  an  attempt  be  made  to  reach  a  conclusion 
with  regard  to  the  widening  of  the  Smithfield  Street  bridge  and 
the  separation  of  the  grade  crossings  at  Try  Street. 

Tenth:  That  an  effort  be  made  to  effect  a  separation  of 
the  grade  crossings  at  Thirty-third  street  and  Liberty  Avenue 
by  a  conference  with  the  proper  officials  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio 
Railroad  Company. 

Eleventh:  That  you  furnish  me  with  a  copy  of  your  winter 
schedule  showing  the  proposed  headway  for  non-rush  hours  as 
well  as  the  rush  hours,  that  is  to  say,  for  the  entire  period  of  the 
day  and  inform  me  what  provision  has  been  made  or  is  being  made 
for  maintaining  schedules  in  accordance  with  the  second  recom- 
mendation of  the  State  Railroad  Commission  under  date  of  April 
24th,  1909  and  the  eighth  recommendation  under  date  of  June 
24th,  1910. 


4.  ■ 


i^ 


66       THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 

Twelfth:  That  you  inform  me  what  provision  has  been  made 
for  storage  of  cars. 

Thirteenth:  That  you  inform  me  what  provision  has  been 
made  for  the  heating,  ventilating  and  lighting  of  cars. 

Fourteenth:  That  you  inform  me  what  provision  has  been 
made  in  regard  to  automatic  switches  in  accordance  with  the 
third  recommendation  of  the  Railroad  Commission  under  date 
of  April  24th,  1909. 

Fifteenth:  That  you  lay  before  me  any  other  plans  which 
you  have  in  mind  for  the  improvement  of  service  not  mcluded 
in  the  above,  in  which  you  consider  that  the  City  may  have  an 
interest  or  in  which  the  City  administration  can  be  of  any  assist- 
ance. 

Yours  very  truly, 

(signed)     William  A.  Magee, 

Mayor. 

New  Connections  and  Extensions. 

In  answer  to  the  Mayor's  letter,  the  Railways  Company  sub- 
mitted for  consideration  a  rerouting  scheme*  for  the  downtown 
district,  incorporating 

LIST  OF  STREETS  UPON  WHICH  TRACKS  ARE  NEEDED. 

31st  and  32nd  Streets.... Penn  to  Liberty  and  connecting  curves. 

12th  Street Penn  to  Liberty  and  connecting  curves. 

2 1st  and  22nd  Streets...  Connecting    curves    at    Penn    and     at 

Liberty. 
9th  St.  Bridge  Loop.  .  .  .Curves  at  9th  and  Penn  and  7th  and  Penn 

Market  Street    Water  St.  to  Fifth  Ave.  and  connecting 

curves. 

Ferry  Street Fourth  Ave.  to  Water  St.  and  connecting 

curves. 

Water  Street Ferry  Street  to  Wood  Street. 

1st  and  2nd  Avenues...  Wood  St.  to  Grant  St.  and  connectmg 

curves. 

3rd  Avenue Grant  Street  to  Ross  Street. 

Ross  Street Third  Avenue  to  Forbes  Street. 

Diamond  Street Wood  Street  to  Grant  Street. 

Old  Avenue Forbes  Street  to  Fifth  Avenue. 

Center  Avenue  and  Highland  Avenue  Curve. 

Carson  Street  at  South  17th  Street  and  South  18th  Street. 

♦See  drawing  and  explanation  in  Re-routing  chapter,  page  162. 


IMMEDIATE  NEEDS 


67 


Woods  Run  Avenue  loop  above  Brighton  Road. 

Lincoln  Avenue  ''Y". 

Smithfield  Street  Bridge. 

Bridges  to  be  raised  on  Carson  Street  to  McKees  Rocks. 

Louisa  Street  loop — Boquet. 

Curve — Fifth  Avenue  and  Craig  Street — Cathedral  Comer. 

Curves — Brady  and  Forbes  Streets. 

Curves — Fifth  Avenue  Extension  and  Frankstown  "Y". 

Carson  and  30th  Street  ''T'  or  loop  through  30th  Street. 

Tracks  on  Craft  Avenue  from  Fifth  Avenue  to  Forbes  Street. 

This  list  was  not  intended  to  be  exact  or  complete,  but  was 
submitted  as  a  tentative  requirement  for  new  connections  and 
extensions. 

Analysis  of  the  Present  Situation, 

From  the  foregoing  recent  history  it  will  be  seen  that  both  the 
City  and  the  Company  are  waiting  for  the  other  to  act.  The 
City  desires  to  know  when  all  the  cars  recommended  by  the  Rail- 
road Commission  and  promised  by  the  Railways  Company  are 
to  be  delivered,  where  they  are  to  be  run  and  when  the  tracks 
and  paving  will  be  repaired.  The  Company  has  submitted  a  re- 
routing plan  and  a  list  of  additional  streets  over  which  it  desires 
franchises,  but  makes  no  definite  answer  as  to  the  cars.  There 
is  every  reason  why  more  cars  should  be  furnished  by  the  Com- 
pany and  plenty  of  evidence  as  to  the  desirability  of  rehabili- 
tating the  tracks.  There  are  also  good  reasons  why  the  City 
should  grant  permission  for  new  connections  so  as  to  permit  the 
improved  routing  of  cars.     But  why  is  not  something  being  done? 

Why  the  Company  Does  Not  Act. 


The  Company  seems  to  be  uncertain  as  to  its  future  policy 
because 

(a)  The  system  has  been  overexpanded  and  parts  of 

it  already  rebmlt  several  times  out  of  capital 
account. 

(b)  The  organization  agreements  resulted  in  heavy  fixed 

charges  and  were  made  apparently  without 
definite  provision  for  renewals  due  to  obsolescence 
and  inadequacy.  ["M 

(c)  Several  business  depressions  in  the  District  have 

resulted  in  an  unsettled  confidence  in  the  future. 


ill 

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Ilf 


68       THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 

(d)  A   constantly  increasing  deficit  makes  it  difficult 

to  interest  new  capital  for  necessary  improve- 
ments. 

(e)  Operating  expenses  have  increased  out  of  propor- 

tion to  income  on  account  of  the  increased  cost  of 
labor  and  material  and  also  on  account  of  past 
curtailment  of  maintenance. 

(f)  The  attitude  of  the  City  during  the  past  administra- 

tion was  antagonistic  and  the  present  admmi- 
stration  has  kept  the  Company  in  a  defensive 
position. 

Why  the  City  Does  Not  Act. 

The  City  cannot  be  expected  to  ''turn  all  the  rest  of  its  streets 

over  to  the  Company"  because 

(a)  Provisions  in  past  franchises  seem  not  to  have  been 

lived  up  to  by  the  Railways  Company. 

(b)  The  power  of  the  City  to  regulate  service  and  fares 

has  not  been  established. 

(c)  The  City's  control  of  the  streets  as  to  the  repair  of 

paving  along  tracks  is  in  doubt. 

(d)  The  power  of  the  City  to  specify  transfers  or  routes 

on  which  the  cars  are  to  run  is  not  certain. 

(e)  There  is  no  assurance  that  the  present  Company 

has  the  financial  ability  to  take  care  of  constantly 
growing  demands. 

(f)  The  surrender  of  additional  streets  in  the  downtown 

district  would  eliminate  the  possibility  of  com- 
petition. 
The  question  of  extensions  apparently  opens  up  agam  the 
relation  between  the  City  and  the  Company.  If  the  City  grants 
assure  the  Company  protection  from  competition,  then  it  would 
appear  that  the  natural  result  must  be  some  form  of  public  con- 
trol which  would  insure  adequate  service,  and  at  the  same  time 
result  in  a  fair  return  on  the  actual  investment. 

Why  Company  and  City  Should  Act  Together. 

There  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  the  old  system  of  grant- 
ing franchises  without  retaining  the  power  of  public  control  or 
right  to  purchase  does  not  produce  a  satisfactory  transportation 

svstem 

The  exploitation  of  the  system  as  an  "investment"  creates 


IMMEDIATE  NEEDS 


69 


a  growing  feeling  of  suspicion  and  unrest  on  the  part  of  the  public 
that  it  is  not  getting  all  of  the  service  it  should,  and  this  dis- 
satisfaction finds  expression  in  suits  and  regulating  ordinances. 

The  operating  Company  finds  that  the  net  returns  after 
paying  operating  expenses  for  the  service  which  public  pressure 
demands,  is  not  sufficient  to  justify  its  capitalization. 

It  will  thus  he  seen  that  the  expectations  of  neither  party  are 
fulfilled  under  the  present  arrangement,  and  both  should  therefore  he 
interested  in  devising  and  agreeing  upon  a  more  satisfactory  and 
permanent  plan. 

Basis  For  A  Permanent  Settlement. 

Drawing  upon  the  Chicago  and  Cleveland  settlements  for 
experience,  it  is  apparent  that  a  continuous  working  agreement 
should  be  based  upon  at  least  the  following  fundamental  con- 
siderations. 

Fair  Return  on  Investment.  Should  be  assured  on  the 
basis  of  an  agreed  rate  of  return  on  the  actual  present  value 
of  the  property  (cost  to  reproduce  minus  depreciation); 
this  value  to  be  determined  by  an  appraisal  of  the  present 
physical  property  to  which  should  be  added  an  agreed 
allowance  for  development  expenses. 

A  fair  return  should  also  be  allowed  upon  all  money 
spent  upon  the  property  to  rehabilitate  it  and  put  it  in 
first  class  operating  condition  so  as  to  give  adequate  ser- 
vice, as  well  as  on  all  moneys  spent  on  extensions  and 
improvements. 

Rehahilitation.  Property  to  be  rehabilitated  and  main- 
tained up  to  an  average  operating  condition  equal  to  at 
least  70%  of  its  cost  to  reproduce  new,  all  future 
maintenance  to  be  paid  for  out  of  operating  expenses,  and 
renewals  to  be  made  out  of  the  earnings  of  the  property. 

Improvements  and  Extensions.  The  system  should  have 
the  benefit  of  the  latest  improvements  in  the  art  and 
its  equipment  should  be  kept  up  to  date.  To  take  care 
of  constantly  increasing  demands  of  the  City's  growth 
new  capital  should  be  available  for  extensions. 

Adequate  Service.  To  be  measured  in  definite  terms, 
preferably  in  a  percentage  of  the  income,  so  that  the  greater 
the  yearly  income  the  better  will  be  the  service. 

Routing.  The  re-routing  should  not  only  eliminate 
useless  car  miles,  but  should  provide  a  reasonable  number 
of  through  routes  so  as  to  make  it  possible  to  pass  through 


i 


70       THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


!| 


l: 


ll 


ii  ^ 


the  center  of  the  city  to  the  further  limits  of  the  "through 
zone"  without  transferring  or  paying  an  additional  fare. 

Transfers.  Should  be  provided  so  that  a  continuous 
single  ride  can  be  secured  in  one  general  direction  with  at 
least  one  free  transfer. 

Publicity  and  Control.  All  of  the  technical  details, 
expenditures  of  money  on  property,  methods  of  operation, 
standardization  of  accounts  and  general  auditing  of  books 
should  be  under  the  supervision  of  some  Board  (upon  which 
both  the  City  and  the  Company  might  be  represented) 
empowered  with  authority  to  initiate  reasonable  improve- 
ments, control  operation  and  cause  its  acts  to  be  enforced. 
The  records  of  this  body  should  be  open  to  the  Public. 

Right  to  Purchase.  The  new  agreement  should  be  in 
the  form  of  an  indeterminate  permit  or  franchise,  some- 
times called  a  ''tenure  during  good  behavior."  Such  a 
grant  can  be  terminated  by  the  City  at  any  time  upon 
the  payment  of  a  fair  compensation  for  the  value  of  the 
property,  exclusive  of  franchise  values. 

It  would  be  unreasonable  to  expect  such  a  radical  change  to 
be  accompUshed  at  once.  All  permanent  progress  takes  time. 
The  City  will  hardly  be  ready  for  such  a  settlement  until  it  realizes 
that  transportation  must  be  handled  as  a  District  problem, 
and  therefore  some  form  of  District  organization  must  be  pro- 
vided. The  Company,  presumably,  would  not  be  prepared  to 
surrender  its  perpetual  franchise  rights  for  the  privilege  of  an 
indeterminate  grant  unless  the  affairs  of  the  combined  system 
reached  an  acute  stage  due  to  the  continued  accumulation  of  deficit  and 
depreciation  obligations.  In  the  meantime,  something  should  be 
done. 

A  Suggested  Program. 

In  order  to  show  its  good  intentions,  let  the  Company  dis- 
close to  the  public  its  present  plans  in  regard  to  those  recommenda- 
tions of  the  State  Railroad  Commission  which  can  be  carried  out 
without  waiting  for  the  City.     These  items  include 

The  placing  in  service  of  150  new  motor  cars  and  50  new 

trailers. 
The  lighting,  heating  and  ventilation  of  all  cars. 
The  maintaining  of  schedules  by  special  inspection. 
The  improvement  of  schedules. 
The  maintenance  of  track  and  paving. 


IMMEDIATE  NEEDS 


71 


In  order  to  show  the  sincerity  of  the  administration,  let  the 
Mayor  or  Councils,  or  both,  make  a  definite  decision  in  regard 
to  the  several  matters  which  are  pending,  making  some  con- 
cessions, if  necessary,  in  order  to  encourage  a  spirit  of  co- 
operation.    These  matters  include 

The  widening  of  Smithfield  Street  bridge. 
The  plans  for  Try  Street  crossing. 
Several  grade  separation  projects. 

* 

In  order  to  demonstrate  the  benefits  to  be  derived  from 
friendly  conferences  leading  to  a  better  understanding  of  the 
actual  facts  of  the  every  day  transportation  difficulties,  let  the 
Mayor  appoint  a  representative  to  have  access  to  the  records  of 
the  Company  covering  the  operation  of  the  system— particularly 
the  schedules;  the  trip  reports,  showing  the  number  of  passen- 
gers carried;  the  time  reports,  showing  delays  and  such  other 
information  as  will  lead  to  an  intelligent  analysis  of  the  service 
and  possible  improvements  in  the  equitable  distribution  of  the 
cars  available.  Thus  the  "open  door"  policy  between  the  City 
and  the  Company  will  be  maintained  to  the  mutual  benefit  of 
both  and  a  foundation  of  facts  can  be  gradually  provided  upon 
which  to  base  an  ultimate  permanent  settlement,  which  for  the 
mutual  benefit  of  both  the  City  and  the  Company  cannot  depart 
very  far  from  the  lines  suggested. 


i\ 


i 


FUTURE  TRANSIT  DEVELOPMENTS. 


Analyzing  probable  future  earnings — Increase  in  earnings  per 
capita — Earnings  in  other  cities  iyicreasin^  as  a  rule  as  the 
square  of  the  population — Reasonable  limits  of  investment  in 
increased  foA^ilities — Reasonable  rate  of  future  investment — 
Future  developments  of  surface  system — Specific  requirements 
— Regulation  by  commission  or  municipality — Preliminary 
report  on  Rapid  Transit. 


'!| 


It  is  always  hazardous  to  make  prophecies,  but  it  is  equally 
dangerous  to  proceed  without  some  conception  of  the  future. 
In  our  American  cities,  there  is  every  evidence  that  their  growth, 
and  particularly  the  development  of  their  transportation  systems 
has  resulted  in  a  series  of  blunders  which  are  the  direct  results  of 
an  inadequate  conception  of  transportation  needs.  The  problem 
for  the  present  generation  is  to  rearrange  the  more  or  less  hap- 
hazard combination  of  streets  and  transit  facilities  that  have 
grown  up  within  the  city  and  to  substitute  therefor  a  compre- 
hensive plan  for  both  the  city  and  its  transportation.  The  two 
go  hand  in  hand.  For  accomplishing  this  most  important  task 
the  equipment  should  be — 1st,  a  thorough  record  of  the  past 
growth  and  the  present  demands— 2nd,  a  knowledge  of  the 
limitations  which  must  be  contended  with — 3rd,  a  conception 
of  the  possibilities,  and  then — 4th,  an  ideal  toward  which  to 
strive  with  a  well  founded  faith  in  the  future. 

Possibilities  of  Future  Earnins^s. 

In  forming  a  conception  of  the  possibilities  of  the  trans- 
portation developments  in  any  district,  it  is  desirable  to  get 
a  firm  grasp  on  the  fact  that  the  ''riding  habit"  of  the  people 
increases  from  year  to  year  as  the  community  grows,  as  its  busi- 
ness, family  and  social  life  becomes  more  and  more  complex 
from  period  to  period,  and  as  its  facilities  of  intercommunication 
are  improved.  The  record  of  the  Pittsburgh  District  as  well  as 
a  study  of  the  results*  from  communities  of  similar  size,  show  that 

♦See  the  grraphical  comparison  of  the  growth  of  traction  earnintrs  and  the  population  of 
all  Anterican  cities  in  the  insert  contained  in  the  chapter  "Traction  Results  in  Larsrest  Ameri- 
can Cities." 


w 


i 


74      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM. 


''earnings  per  capita"  may  conservatively  be  taken  as  increasing 
in  proportion  to  the  increase  in  population,  that  is,  when  the 
population  doubles,  the  average  expenditure  for  transportation 
per  person  will  also  double.  To  show  what  this  means,  the  fol- 
lowing figures  will  be  of  interest. 

Rate  of  Growth  of  Income  from  Transportation. 


Population 

Earnings  Per 
Capita 

Annual  Passenger 
Income 

1,000,000 

$10 . 00 

$10,000,000 

1,250,000 

12.50 

15,625,000 

1,500,000 

15.00 

22,500,000 

1,750,000 

17.50 

30,625,000 

2,000,000 

20.00 

40,000,000 

The  important  point  to  notice  is  that  within  reasonable 
limits  the  annual  transportation  income  of  any  large  center  of 
population  increases  approximately  as  the  square  of  the  popula- 
tion. In  the  Pittsburgh  District,  the  result  will  be  that  when  the 
population  reaches  the  two  million  mark,  the  earnings  from  trans- 
portation will  have  increased  hy  $30,000,000  per  year.  There 
may  be  some  who  will  question  the  probabiUty  of  the  Pittsburgh 
District  increasing  from  one  million  to  two  million  in  population, 
but  as  long  as  there  is  a  reasonable  possibility  of  such  an  increase 
it  would  be  a  mistake  to  form  our  conception  as  to  the  future 
transportation  developments  on  a  lower  basis. 

Investment  in  Increased  Facilities. 

In  determining  upon  the  plan  for  the  building  of  future 
transit  f aciUties,  it  is  important  to  know  what  amount  of  money 
may  reasonably  be  invested  for  each  dollar  of  increased  income. 
All  of  the  developments  of  the  science  of  transportation  have  a 
decided  tendency  toward  reducing  the  actual  operating  cost  of 
moving  passengers.  On  the  surface  lines,  the  use  of  larger  cars 
reduces  the  cost  per  seat  per  mile;  the  electrified  railroad  lines 
are  operating  at  a  less  cost  per  car  mile  with  electric  motors  than 
they  formerly  did  with  steam  locomotives,  and  subway  cars  of 
twice  the  capacity  of  surface  cars  can  be  run  at  double  the  speed 
and  at  almost  half  the  operating  cost  per  car  mile  of  the  trolley 
car.  In  other  words,  a  larger  investment  per  dollar  earned  can 
be  made  with  the  more  modern  equipment,  and  this  fact  expressed 
within  reasonable  limits  in  actual  figures  may  be  stated  as  follows: 

For  Surface  Systems  each  additional  dollar  earned  will  jus- 
tify an  investment  of  $3.00  to  $4.00. 


Hi  ;! 

m  1. 


FUTURE  TRANSIT 


75 


For  Electrified  Railroads,  each  additional  dollar  earned  will 
justify  an  investment  of  $4.00  to  $6.00. 

For  Subway  Systems  each  additional  dollar  earned  will  justify 
an  investment  of  $6.00  to  $8.00. 

Following  is  an  approximate  estimate  of  the  summation  of 
future  expenditures  for  transit  facilities  in  the  Pittsburgh  Dis- 
trict to  be  made  by  the  time  the  District  has  a  population  of 
2,000,000.  This  is  beUeved  to  be  conservative  and  possible  of 
execution. 

Approximate  Expenditures  for  Transit  Facilities. 

Increased 
Sharb  Apportioned  to  Annual  Average  Additional 

Earnings  Rate  Investment 

Surface  Systems $15,000,000  $3.50  $52,500,000 

Subways  and  other  "Rapid 

Transit"  facilities 10,000,000  7.00  70,000,000 

Electrified  Railroads 5,000,000  5.00  25,000,000 

Total $30,000,000  $147,500  000 

This  means  that  a  comprehensive  transportation  program 
should  involve  the  plans  for  the  expenditure  of  between  $140,- 
000,000  and  $150,000,000  in  the  Pittsburgh  District.  These 
figures  give  a  fair  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  the  Pittsburgh  trans- 
portation problem. 

Rate  of  Future  Growth. 

If  it  requires  an  investment  of  $140,000,000  to  provide  for 
additional  annual  earnings  of  $30,000,000,  the  question  is 
when  can  the  demand  anticipated  be  expected  and  how  far  in 
advance  should  the  expenditures  precede  the  demands.  It  may 
be  said  that  an  exact  estimate  is  impracticable,  but  it  is  better 
to  have  even  an  approximate  estimate  than  no  conception  at  all. 

A  study  of  the  rate  of  growth  of  the  population  of  Pittsburgh, 
of  the  surrounding  towns  and  of  Allegheny  County,  indicates  that 
the  population  served  by  the  present  surface  system  will  increase 
from  1,000,000  to  2,000,000  persons  in  about  thirty  years  time. 
This  refers  to  the  so-called  Pittsburgh  District,  which  has  shown 
an  even  more  rapid  growth  *  than  Allegheny  County  alone.  A 
more  conservative  estimate  would  be  that  the  population  would  be 
doubled  in  forty  years.  Taking  an  average  of  thirty-five  years 
and  remembering  that  if  the  riding  habit  is  to  be  expected  to 

•See  population  study  curves  on  accompanying:  insert,  opposite  pagre  140-41. 


m 


nr 


76      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


increase  it  must  be  cultivated  by  providing  facilities  somewhat  in 
advance  of  the  actual  demand,  we  may  arrange  a  table  of  possible 
expenditures  as  below  in  which  it  will  be  noted  that  the  annual 
requirements  for  investment  are  greater  for  the  later  years  of  the 
period. 

Approximate  Schedule  of  Expenditures  for  Transit 

Facilities. 


Years 


1910  to  1915 
1915  to  1925 
1925  to  1935 
1935  to  1945 


Period 

5  years 
10 
10 
10 


n 


il 


n 


Average  Annual  Rate 
OF  Investment 

$3,000,000 
3,500,000 
4,000,000 
5,000,000 


Total 


$15,000,000 
35,000,000 
40,000,000 
50,000,000 


35  years         $4,000,000  $140,000,000 

To  plan  the  future  expenditures  for  transportation  for  a 
period  much  longer  than  thirty-five  years  would  not  be  wise 
on  account  of  the  possibilities  of  radical  changes  in  the  state  of 
the  art.  On  the  other  hand  to  lay  out  a  scheme  which  would  not 
take  into  account  the  possibilities  for  quite  a  length  of  time 
would  not  be  comprehensive.  And  to  proceed  without  any  plan 
at  all  would  mean  to  continue  blundering  along  as  has  been 
done  by  many  in  the  past  with  the  result  that  some  properties 
are  in  a  run  down  condition  without  sufficient  funds  for  rehabil- 
itating them  or  for  extensions. 

The  Future  Development  of  the  Surface  System. 

The  present  surface  system  need  have  nothing  to  fear  from 
a  "rapid  transit"  development,  for  the  building  of  suitably 
located  subways  and  electrified  railroad  lines  will  help  the  surface 
earnings  rather  than  detract  from  them.  Eventually  the  surface 
system  should  act  as  a  collecting  and  distributing  agency  for  the 
rapid  transit  lines,  and  as  density  of  traffic  develops,  it  is  not  too 
much  to  expect  that  some  form  of  transfers  will  be  issued  between 
the  subway,  the  electrified  lines  and  the  surface  system.  In  other 
words,  the  trolley  line  should  do  the  retail  business  in  single  car 
units  and  the  main  trunk  rapid  transit  fines  should  do  the  whole- 
sale business  with  trains  of  cars. 

Speed  and  economy  will  be  secured  by  the  "rapid  transit" 
lines  and  convenience  provided  by  the  surface  system.  This 
conception  of  the  functions  of  the  surface  system  makes  its  posi- 
tion in  the  District  one  of  the  greatest  importance.  If  for  all 
time,  this  system  is  to  collect  an  income  at  the  rate  of  more  than 
$10.00  per  capita  per  annum,  and  is  in  a  position  to  affect  the 
health,  happiness  and  well  being  of  every  person  in  the   District, 


FUTURE  TRANSIT 


77 


then  it  would  seem  that  the  public  have  certain  rights  which 
ought  to  be  expressed  in  definite  form. 

In  various  States,  this  right  to  regulate  is  being  intrusted  to 
special  commissions,  which  are  given  power  to  regulate  service, 
to  fix  rates,  to  pass  upon  franchises  and  permits  for  extensions 
and  to  control  the  issue  of  securities  so  as  to  fimit  the  profits  to 
a  fair  return  on  the  investment.  For  this  purpose  physical 
valuations  are  being  made  and  standard  systems  of  accounts  are 
being  introduced.  The  question  of  depreciation  is  becoming 
a  live  issue  and  publicity  of  records  an  established  fact. 

It  is  reasonable  to  expect  that  the  traction  situation  in  the 
Pittsburgh  District  must,  sooner  or  later,  develop  along  these  or 

similar  lines. 

Whether  actuated  by  demands  of  the  public  or  determined 
by  the  dictates  of  good  management,  the  physical  part  of  the 
present  property  should  first  be  thoroughly  rehabilitated  and 
at  the  same  time  improved  so  as  to  bring  the  equipment  up  to 

date. 

As  a  rule,  extensions  should  be  made  only  when  the  in- 
creased business  will  justify  the  investment;  otherwise  new 
lines  which  will  exploit  new  territory  should  be  financed  at 
the  partial  expense  of  the  district  benefitted  in  such  a  way  as 
not  to  become  an  excessive  burden  upon  the  rest  of  the  system. 

The  territory  already  covered  should  be  provided  with  ade- 
quate service  and  the  great  stretches  of  unoccupied  land  already 
reached  by  the  trolley  lines  should  be  developed. 

There  is  no  reason  why  the  average  income  per  mile  of  track 
already  in  place  should  not  he  very  greatly  increased,  and  when  this 
occurs,  the  property  will  pay  well  upon  a  fair  valuation. 

The  Rapid  Transit  Problem  in  Pittsburgh. 

According  to  the  schedule  of  approximate  expenditures  for 
future  transit  facilities  in  the  Pittsburgh  District,  nearly  two- 
thirds  of  the  total  amount  to  be  expended  to  secure  a  compre- 
hensive system  is  to  cover  the  cost  of  electrified  steam  roads  and 
of  subways  and  other  ''Rapid  Transit"  faciUties.  In  other  words, 
notwithstanding  the  magnitude  of  the  problem  of  furnishing 
adequate  service  on  the  surface  system,  that  of  providing  rapid 
transit  for  the  future  needs  is  fully  twice  as  great.  The  situation 
at  present  in  connection  with  Subways  and  Electrified  Steam 
Roads  is  covered  in  the  following  Preliminary  Report  on  Rapid 
Transit  which  was  made  in  order  to  meet  the  subway  situation  in 
Pittsburgh  which  arose  during  the  preparation  of  this  report. 


«  i 


78      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM. 


Preliminary  Report  on  Rapid  Transit. 


An  exposition  of  technical  and  other  elements  in  the  execution  of  a 
rapid  transit  enterprise — Improvements  now  available — 
Elevated  roads  disadvantageous —Subways  an  eventual  neces- 
sity in  Pittsburgh— Technical  elements — Relation  of  earnings 
and  expenses — At  least  12%annual  return  on  first  cost  necessary 
— How  increasing  earnings  per  capita  enhance  the  probabilities 
of  building  subways— Why  certain  density  of  population  is 
necessary  to  support  rapid  transit— Advantage  of  combined 
subway-Surface  system  as  trunk  and  feeder — The  important 
function  of  apartment  dwellings  —Financial  considerations — ■ 
Necessity  of  providing  for  depreciation  and  contingencies — 
Detailing  various  methods  of  financing  by  private  and  city 
capital  or  credit  and  by  assessment — Return  on  investment — 
Why  subways  will  not  pay  at  first — Problems  requiring 
investigation, 

Pittsburgh,  Penna.,  June  29,  1910. 

Honorable  William  A.  Magee, 

Mayor  of  Pittsburgh. 
Sir:— 

In  answer  to  your  various  questions  in  regard  to  the  possi- 
bilities for  real  Rapid  Transit  in  Pittsburgh  and  the  Pittsburgh 
District,  I  desire  to  make  the  following  preliminary  report: 

I.  The  Improvements  Available  at  the  present  time  to 
provide  better  "rapid  transit"  facilities  for  the  District  are 

(a)  Elevated  roads, 

(b)  Subways  and 

(c)  Electrification  of  suburban  terminals  of  steam  rail- 

roads. 

II.  Elevated  Roads.  The  only  available  location  for  an 
elevated  system  in  the  down  town  business  district  would  be  upon 
the  outlying  streets  along  the  rivers,  as  the  structure  would  probab- 
ly not  be  tolerated  in  the  narrow  streets  of  the  more  congested 
central  areas.  This  out-of-the-way  location  would  place  an 
elevated  road  at  a  disadvantage. 

Elevated  structures  designed  to  carry  the  surface  cars  around 
Herron  Hill  would  be  expensive  and  the  operation  of  single  car 


I  n' 


FUTURE  TRANSIT 


79 


units  would  so  limit  the  capacity  of  the  tracks  that  it  is  doubtful 
if  sufficient  additional  car  miles  could  be  operated  to  justify  the 
investment. 

III.  Subways.  A  subway  between  the  down  town  business 
district  and  certain  centers  in  the  outljdng  districts  appears  to 
be  a  natural  development.  It  is  probable  that  one  section  of  the 
city  will  be  ready  for  a  subway  before  the  other  sections,  but 
eventually  all  parts  of  the  city  should  be  connected  by  some 
unified  system  of  sub-surface  transportation. 

A  subway  is  admirably  adapted  to  overcome  the  natural 
divisional  obstacles,  such  as  hills,  ravines  and  rivers  which  now 
separate  the  various  communities.  And  as  a  civic  improvement, 
the  building  of  a  subway  will  eventually  become  a  necessity  in 
order  to  remove  the  increase  in  passenger  traffic  from  the  surface 
of  the  streets.  The  present  questions  however,  are  where  and  how 
soon  should  subways  be  built  and  under  what  financial  restrictions. 


V'    ] 


Technical  Elements  of  Subway  System. 

(a)  First  Cost.  The  first  cost  of  a  double  track  subway, 
fully  equipped,  may  be  estimated  as  between  $1,000,000  and 
$2,000,000  per  mile  of  single  track,  depending  upon  the  physical 
difficulties,  size,  elaborateness  of  design,  number  of  stations, 
amount  of  rolling  stock  and  other  equipment,  value  of  real  estate 
necessary  for  stations,  terminals,  shops,  yards,  etc.  A  subway 
system  for  Pittsburgh  should  hardly  be  undertaken  unless  an 
expenditure  of  at  least  $30,000,000  is  contemplated,  half  of  this 
amount,  at  least,  to  be  spent  for  the  sections  first  built. 

(b)  Operating  Expense.  Experience  has  shown  that  the 
ratio  between  operating  expenses  and  gross  earnings,  under 
subway  conditions,  varies  between  40  and  60%  with  a  fair  average 
of  50%.  The  average  operating  expense  of  a  surface  system  is 
from  60%  to  70%  of  passenger  earnings,  and  it  is  the  fact  that 
subways  can  be  operated  at  a  relatively  lower  percentage  that 
justifies  the  larger  investment  in  situations  where  the  density  of 
traffic  is  great. 

(c)  Earnings.  The  annual  earnings  from  operation  should 
amount  to  not  less  than  10%  of  the  first  cost,  and  seldom  will 
amount  to  more  than  15%,  for  before  reaching  this  latter  figure 
there,  no  doubt,  would  arise  demands  for  extensions.  These 
figures  indicate  on  what  narrow  margins  enterprises  of  this  char- 
acter must  be  financed.  Under  Pittsburgh  conditions,  I  believe 
that  average  annual  earnings  from  passengers  equal  to  at  least 


I 


r 

^ 


80      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


12%  of  the  first  cost  of  the  system  will  be  necessary  to  make  a 
subway  practicable. 

(d)  Earnings  per  capita.  If  the  first  section  of  the  subway 
must  earn  an  amount  equal  to  12%  on  $15,000,000  or  $1,800,000 
per  year,  the  question  is— when  will  it  be  possible  to  build  it? 

The  earnings  per  capita  of  the  surface  system  are  now  about 
$10.00  as  an  average,  but  certain  residence  sections  of  the  City 
run  as  high  as  $28.00  per  unit  of  "sleeping  population"  of  the 
District. 

Earnings  per  capita  increase  at  a  rate  not  less  than  the  rate 
of  increase  in  population,  and  often  at  a  greater  rate,  depending 
on  the  riding  habits  of  the  community.  Therefore  at  $10.00  per 
capita,  the  subway  must  serve  180,000  people  in  order  to  earn 
$1,800,000  yearly;  at  $20.00  per  capita,  only  one-half  this  number 
or  90,000  people  would  be  required.  A  conservative  estimate 
would  be  that  if  a  subway  can  be  designed  to  serve  150,000  people 
contributing  $12.00  each  per  annum  to  the  subway  in  addition 
to  their  use  of  the  surface  system,  then  an  initial  investment  of 
$15,000,000  would  be  justified,  or  at  the  rate  of  $100  per  person 
served. 

(e)  Density  of  Population.  At  present  the  maximum 
density  of  population  in  Pittsburgh  over  any  considerable  area 
is  about  100  persons  per  acre,  although  one  ward,  the  old  Seventh, 
had  a  density  of  nearly  200  per  acre;  but  in  many  residence  dis- 
tricts, such  as  the  East  Liberty  section,  the  density  is  as  low  as  30 
per  acre.  In  New  York  the  density  per  acre  for  the  lower  ''East 
Side"  is  about  700  per  acre,  and  in  Harlem,  which  is  the  best  con- 
tributing district  for  the  New  York  subway,  the  density  is  150 
per  acre,  which  is  the  same  as  the  average  for  the  entire  island  of 
Manhattan. 

At  100  per  acre,  150,000  people  would  occupy  1500  acres  or 
2.35  square  miles,  while  at  50  per  acre,  the  district  required  for 
150,000  people  would  be  twice  as  much  or  4.7  square  miles.  It 
is  very  probable,  with  the  opportunities  which  Pittsburgh  has 
of  spreading  out,  that  there  will  not  be  sufldcient  increase  in 
land  values  to  justify  whole  blocks  of  high  apartment  buildings 
such  as  are  found  in  New  York  City.  But  there,  no  doubt,  will  be 
considerable  development  in  the  line  of  apartment  dwellings, 
which  will  raise  the  present  average  density  of  population  in 
many  sections,  although  it  will  not  be  safe  to  count  on  large  con- 
tiguous residence  areas  where  the  average  density  will  reach  as 
high  as  100  per  acre.     This  would  indicate  that  the  first  section 


FUTURE  TRANSIT 


81 


of  the  subway  should  be  designed  if  possible  to  serve  an  area  of 

about  four  square  miles.  -r        ^     ^  ^^ 

(f )  Combined  Surface  and  Subway  Systems.  In  order  to  reach 

the  amount  of  territory  that  will  secure  patronage  to  justify  a 
subway,  it  will  be  wise  to  count  on  a  combined  system  using  the 
subway  as  a  main  trunk  line  and  the  surface  railway  as  a  means 
of  collecting  and  distributing  the  passengers  over  a  wide  area. 
Furthermore,  in  order  to  use  the  tubes  to  best  advantage,  they 
should  be  located  and  designed  so  as  to  accomodate  suburban 
trains  coming  into  the  city  over  the  various  lines  of  the  present 
railroads,  which  may  be  electrified  eventually.  With  these  two 
auxiliary  systems  contributing  to  the  earnings  of  the  subway,  it 
will  be  unnecessary  to  be  so  dependent  upon  the  earnings  of  the 
territory  directly  contiguous  to  the  main  trunk  line. 

However,  to  secure  this  "transfer"  and  "through"  business, 
it  will  be  necessary  to  design  a  subway  for  real  rapid  transit  by 
eliminating  the  stops  in  the  short  haul  territory  just  outside  the 
business  center  of  the  city  and  to  operate  trains  instead  of  single 
car  units. 

(g)  Successful  Subway  Design  in  Pittsburgh  will  apparent- 
ly involve  the  location  of  the  subway  in  territory  which  is  capable 
of  being  built  up  with  apartment  houses,  the  selection  of  station 
sites  convenient  to  transfer  to  a  surface  system,  and  the  design 
of  terminals  which  will  make  connections  with  electrified  suburban 
lines.  The  configuration  of  Pittsburgh  with  its  probable  growth 
in  population  lends  itself  to  the  successful  meeting  of  all  these 
conditions.  But  to  disclose  the  exact  location  of  a  subway  before 
the  property  is  secured  for  stations  and  terminals,  will  unnecess- 
arily hamper  the  enterprise  with  a  too  heavy  real  estate  burden. 
In  general,  it  may  be  said  that  the  first  section  of  the  subway 
should  connect  the  down  town  district  with  East  Liberty,  with 
two  stations  in  the  business  center  and  about  three  stations  in 
the  East  Liberty  district.  The  second  section  of  the  subway 
should  be  built  under  the  river  to  Allegheny,  and  the  next  two 
sections  should  consist  of  loops  in  the  business  center  and  an 
extension  to  the  South  Side. 

Financial  Considerations. 

Any  subsurface  transportation  system,  to  be  permanently 
successful,  should  be  able  to  carry  the  following  financial  burdens: 

1.  Operating  expenses  including  taxes,  damages,  insurance 
and  maintenance,  which  will  vary  from  40%  to  60%  of  the  pass- 
enger income,  depending  upon  the  volume  of  traffic. 


1* 


82      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


2.  An  annual  Depreciation  Fund  which  will  vary  from  3% 
to  5%  of  the  cost  of  equipment  only. 

3.  An  Amortization  Fund  which,  at  1%  per  year  on  cost 
of  construction  (compounded  at  2.5%),  will  retire  the  invest- 
ment in  structure  in  fifty  years;  or  at  J^%  per  year,  would 
amount  to  the  first  cost  of  construction  in  seventy-five  years. 

4.  A  Contingent  Reserve  Fund  to  take  care  of  extraordinary 
accidents  and  other  unforseen  contingencies,  which  fund  should 
accumulate  and  be  kept  invested  until  it  reaches  about  5%  of  the 
total  cost. 

5.  Interest  on  Cost,  which  at  present  may  vary  from  a 
maximum  of  about  8%  with  private  capital  down  to  about  4% 
with  municipal  credit. 

6.  Discount  Fund,  which  should  offset  the  discount  on 
bonds  or  other  similar  indebtedness  in  about  twenty  years. 

7.  Surplus  Profits,  which  in  case  of  private  ownership, 
should  be  divided  with  the  City  on  some  equitable  and  agreed 
basis  or  used  for  building  extensions. 

Methods  of  Financing  Subways. 

Four  subway  systems  have  been  built  in  this  country: 
those  in  Boston,  New  York  and  Philadelphia. 

The  first  Boston  subway  was  constructed  by  the  city,  and 
was  rented  to  the  local  railway  company  on  a  basis  of 
not  less  than  V/s%  annual  rental  upon  its  total  first  cost. 
Arrangements  recently  have  been  made,  however,  for  the  Boston 
Elevated  Railway  Company  to  finance  the  Cambridge  extension 
from  Boston,  with  its  own  capital. 

The  original  subway  of  the  Interborough  Company  of  New 
York  was  built  with  money  raised  upon  bonds  guaranteed  by 
the  City's  credit.  This  money  was  used  in  the  construction  of 
the  subway  itself,  but  the  equipment  was  furnished  by  a  private 
company  which  was  given  the  privilege  of  operating  the  subway 
for  a  period  of  50  years  with  a  possible  extension  of  25  years. 
The  subway  of  the  Hudson  and  Manhattan  Company  was  built 
entirely  with  private  capital,  but  the  company  pays  an  agreed 
varying  annual  rental  for  the  use  of  such  streets  as  it  occupies 
on  Manhattan  Island. 

The  Philadelphia  subway  was  built  entirely  by  private 
capital  and  is  used  as  a  down  town  terminal  for  both  elevated  and 
surface  cars  of  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Company. 


FUTURE  TRANSIT 


83 


The  various  methods  which  have  been  recognized  or  suggested 
for  financing  the  cost  of  subways  may  be  briefly  recapitulated  as 
follows : — 

(a)  Private  Capital  for  Building,  Equipment  and  Opera- 
tion. Length  of  franchise  may  be  for  (a)  short  term,  (b)  long 
term  or  for  (c)  indeterminate  term.  Right  to  purchase  should 
be  retained  by  the  City. 

(b)  City  Credit  for  Construction,  Private  Capital  for  Equip- 
ment. To  be  operated  by  contractor  for  a  term  of  years.  Sink- 
ing fund  should  be  provided  to  retire  City  bonds  used  in  con- 
struction. City  should  have  the  right  to  purchase  equipment 
at  a  fair  valuation  at  the  end  of  the  contractor's  lease. 

(c)  City  Credit  for  both  Construction  and  Equipment, 
Private  Operation.  To  be  operated  by  contractor  on  bonus 
principle.  Sinking  funds  to  be  provided  for  retiring  cost,  for 
depreciation  and  for  operating  reserve. 

(d)  City  Credit  for  both  Construction  and  Equipment, 
Municipal  Operation.  Municipal  construction  and  operation 
without  the  use  of  any  private  enterprise  whatsoever. 

(e)  Assessment.  Part  or  all  of  the  cost  to  be  raised  by  long 
term  assessment  on  the  property  benefitted,  preferably  without  ac- 
cumulation of  interest.  In  case  of  very  poor  territory  the  loss 
from  operation  during  the  first  years,  while  business  is  being 
developed  should  also  be  financed  by  assessment. 

Return  on  Investment  in  Subway. 

The  earnings  and  net  returns  will  depend  on  the  following: 

1.  Density  of  population  served,  and  rides  per  capita. 

2.  Equitable  arrangement  for  exchange  of  transfers 
between  the  subway  and  the  collecting  and  distribu- 
ting surface  system. 

3.  Use  of  subway  as  a  down  town  terminal  by  electrified 
branches  of  present  steam  lines. 

In  my  opinion  a  subway  in  Pittsburgh  will  pay  eventually, 
but  there  will  be  a  loss  during  the  first  years  of  operation,  and 
particularly  so  if  it  be  built  too  soon  or  upon  too  large  a  scale. 
To  insure  the  stability  of  the  enterprise,  this  deficit  must  be  offset 
by  the  profits  made  during  subsequent  years.  Therefore,  in 
order  that  the  turning  point,  when  earnings  exceed  operating 
expenses  plus  annual  fixed  charges,  be  not  deferred  too  long,  the 
subway  should  not  be  constructed  until  definite  arrangements 


84      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


have  been  made  with  existing  transportation  systems  for  the 
joint  use  of  the  subway  to  the  mutual  advantage  of  the  compan- 
ies and  the  traveling  public. 

The  operating  expenses  may  be  controlled,  to  a  certain 
extent,  as  the  service  rendered  may  be  made  to  suit,  within 
limits,  the  traffic  available.  But  the  annual  fixed  charges  will  be 
the  result  of  preliminary  arrangements  which  cannot  be  reduced 
without  financial  loss  to  the  original  investors. 

To  elucidate,  the  First  Cost  will  depend  upon 

(a)  The  actual  cash  cost  of  the  property. 

(b)  The  profit  to  be  allowed  the  contractor. 

(c)  The  interest  paid  during  construction. 

(d)  The  discount  for  underwriting  funded  debt. 

(e)  The  profit  to  be  allowed  the  promoter. 

And  the  Annual  Fixed  Charges,  after  paying  operating  ex- 
penses, (including  maintenance,  taxes,  damages  and  insurance) 
will  depend  on  what  is  allowed  for  the  following  items: 

(a)  Interest  on  funded  debt. 

(b)  Depreciation. 

(c)  Sinking  fund  for  retiring  cost  of  construction. 

(d)  Reserve  fund  for  contingencies. 

(e)  Discount  fund  to  offset  discount  on  bonds. 

(f)  Dividends  to  reward  enterprise  or  to  cover  a  fair 

return  on  the  investment. 

(g)  Percentage,  if  any,  to  be  paid  the  City  for  its  share 

of  gross  or  net  earnings. 

Problems  Requiring  Investigation. 

In  order  to  determine,  more  definitely,  the  prospects  of 
building  a  subway  in  advance  of  actual  needs,  so  that  it  may  be- 
come an  important  factor  in  influencing  the  extent  and  charac- 
ter of  the  growth  of  the  City  and  District,  it  will  be  desirable 
to  proceed  along  the  following  lines  of  inquiry: 

1.  Ascertain  the  "best  terms"  which  private  capital  will 
offer  or  accept  for  building,  equipping  and  operating  the  subway 
and  for  giving  the  City  the  right  to  purchase. 

2.  Secure  by  legislation  the  right  for  the  City  to  issue 
bonds  of  a  type  self  supporting  and  independent  of  the  debt 
limit,  so  that  money  for  purchasing  or  constructing  a  subway 
and  possibly  for  equipping  it  also,  may  be  secured  by  means  of 
the  City's  credit,  and  thus  reduce,  to  a  minimum,  the  fixed 
charge  for  interest. 


FUTURE  TRANSIT 


85 


3.  Ascertain  what  the  present  street  surface  railway  com- 
pany will  do  in  regard  to  interchanging  transfers  with  the  subway. 

4.  Ascertain  what  the  steam  railroad  companies  will  do  in 
regard  to  electrification  of  their  suburban  tracks  and  renting  the 
use  of  the  subway  as  a  down  town  terminal  or  for  a  through 
passenger  connection  for  suburban  trains. 

5.  Determine,  by  comparing  the  present  census  with  others, 
the  rate  of  growth  of  the  sections  which  may  be  affected  by  rapid 
transit  development. 

6.  Ascertain  the  probable  increase  in  value  of  real  estate 
in  the  districts  to  be  served  in  order  to  determine  whether  or  not 
this  increase  in  value  of  land  will  justify  the  building  of  apartment 
houses  in  sufficient  numbers  to  result  in  a  density  favorable  to 
subway  operation. 

7.  Investigate  the  possibilities  of  raising  all  or  part  of  the 
first  cost  of  a  subway  by  assessment  on  the  land  benefitted  by 
the  improvement. 

Respectfully, 

(Signed)  BiON  J.  Arnold, 

Consulting  Engineer, 


86        THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


LOCAL  TRAIN  SLRVICC-  PENNSYLVANIA  LINES-  PITTSBURGH  TO  NORTH  TRAFFORO 


OE.NSITY     OF    TRAIN     SERVICE 


GRAPHICAL  RAILROAD  TIME  TABLE. 
In  order  to  study  the  density  of  traffic  on  the  suburban 
branches  of  the  steam  roads,  the  time  tables  for  the  summer  of 
1910  have  been  plotted  as  shown  by  the  above  example  which 
records  the  main  line  train  service  from  Pittsburgh  to  East 
Liberty,  Wilkinsburg,  Braddock  and  Wilmerding  to  Trafford. 
This  diagram  indicates  (a)  the  time  of  each  train  leaving  Pitts- 
burgh during  one  day  over  the  Pittsburgh  (local)  Division, 
(b)  the  relative  headway  between  trains,  (c)  the  length  of  the 
suburban  section,  (d)  the  time  required  for  a  one-way  trip  (e) 
the  number  of  trains  stopping  at  each  station  during  the  day  in 
both  directions,  and  (f)  the  scheduled  time  of  each  stop.  The 
time  table  shown  above  is  for  the  heaviest  suburban  line  in  the 
Pittsburgh  District,  as  high  as  54  trains  in  each  direction  per  day 
serving  this  line. 


1 

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1    '! 

MAP  OF  STEAM  RAILROAD  LINES  IN  THE  VICINITY  OF  PITTSBURGH. 

This  diagramatical  map  of  the  district  around  Pittsburgh  conveys  a  clear  conception  of  the  extent  of  steam  railroad  trackage  and  the  limited  avenues  of  entry 
into  Pittsburgh  proper.  The  irregular  routes  of  most  of  the  lines  also  emphasize  the  difficulties  encountered  in  meeting  the  rugged  topography  of  the  district.  A 
striking  feature  of  this  development  is  the  paralleling  of  all  four  rivers  by  railroad  lines.  With  one  exception,  the  Wabash,  all  lines  follow  the  river  levels  into  the 
city,  and  it  is  owing  to  the  fact  that  these  bottom  lands  have  long  been  completely  preempted,  that  the  Wabash  line  was  forced  to  pierce  the  South  Hills  in  order 
to  gain  effective  entry  into  Pittsburgh.  | 


I 


RUSH  HOUR  SEATS 

STEAM    RAILROADS 

ACCOMPANVIN8  TMC   KZ^OHt  OT 

BION  J.  ARNOLD 


PITTSBURGH  TRACTION  PROBLEM 

TO    HON.  WILLI  AM  A.MASEE 

MAYOR  OF  PITTSBURSH 


RUSH  HOUR  SEATING  CAPACITY— STEAM  RAILROADS— PITTSBURGH  AND  VICINITY. 
The  relative  widths  of  the  lines  indicate  the  number    of  seats  scheduled  one  way  on  each  road  during  the  rush  hour.      As  the    seating    capacity 
of  express  service  is  not  available  at  certain  stations,  these  seats  have  been  shaded  for  distinction  from  purely  local  service.      The  total    mumber    of  seats 
due  to  leave  the  business  district  during  the  peak  hour  is  12323.      This  map  is  drawn  to  the  same   scale  as  the  Seat  Flow  Map  of  the  surface  railway 
system,  and  hence  shows  the  relative  service  pi'ovided  by  the  steam  and  electric  lines. 


f  MILCS      P 


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STREIEIT  RAILWAY  TIME, IN  MINUtES,  SHOWN  THUS    ^^^=,vr=^ 
STLAM  RAILROADTIMLCEXPREISSJ.INMINUTELS,  SHOWN  THUS— 11©  — 

TIME  ZONE  MAP— SHOWING  RELATIVE  RUNNING  TIME  BETWEEN  TROLLEY  SYSTEM  AND  STEAM  RAILROADS. 

The  successive  shaded  zones  indicate  the  distance  the  trolley  cars  travel  in  ten  irfnute  periods,  and  the  "contour"  lines,  the  corresponding  distance  for  the  steam  rail- 
road suburban  express  service.  To  the  steam  road  time  must  be  added  the  time  of  vfalking  to  and  from  the  depot  at  each  end  so  that  the  advantage  of  the  steam  road  in 
point  of  time  is  not  as  great  as  shown.      Eventually,    'electrification"  will  make  possi hie  a  frequent  service  and  a  downtown  terminal  for  many  of  the  suburban  steam  rail- 


roads, but  the  speed  of  the     rapid  transit"  trains  will  probably  not  be  much  greater 


venience,  and  frequency  of  the  electric  trains  would  greatly  increase  the  present  subijrban  traffic. 


than  the   present  express  steam  service.      However,   the   greater   cleanliness,   con- 


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•    '111 


FINANCIAL  AND  OPERATING  RECORDS. 


PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS  CO. 


Presenting  complete  records  of  financial  results  since  incorporation 
— Income  Account — Deficit  increasing — Monthly  variation 
in  earnings,  traffic  and  service — Historical  record  of  track 
mileage  and  earnings — Analysis  of  statistics  per  car  mile, 
per  mile  of  track,  per  capita  and  operating  ratio — Average 
fare — Comparative  industrial  growth  of  Pittsburgh  District — 
Traffic  distribution  and  earnings  by  Districts. 

Supplementing  previous  discussion  of  Pittsburgh's  Immedi- 
ate Transit  Needs,  the  accompanying  record  of  financial  opera- 
tions of  the  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  reviews  the  princi- 
pal facts  which  it  was  before  possible  to  discuss  only  in  a  general 
way.  The  analysis  of  the  operating  results  is  purposely  compre- 
hensive, in  order  to  meet  different  points  of  view.  These  data 
necessarily  assume  the  form  of  extracts  from  the  Company's 
records,  either  direct  or  in  indirect  graphical  form.  The  graphical 
method  has  been  used  extensively  in  order  to  show  relations  as 
well  as  absolute  quantities.  These  records  are  presented  largely 
as  findings  of  fact,  and  hence  are  simply  commented  upon  where 
necessary  to  emphasize  essential  points.  Conclusions  to  be  drawn 
from  these  facts  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  the  report. 

A  large  part  of  the  information  shown  by  the  following 
tables  and  diagrams  was  furnished  by  the  Pittsburgh  Railways 
Company. 

PAGES 

General  Income  Account 88-92 

Growth  of  Earnings  and  Population 94-6 

Passengers  and  Car  miles 97-8 

Growth  of  Track  Mileage  since  1880 100-1 

Trackage  Map  Pittsburgh  Railways  Co.  1910 100-1 

Earnings,  Operating  Expenses  and  Passengers  per  car  mile  102-3 

Relative  Growth  of  Earnings  and  Car  Miles 104 

Population,  Car  Miles  and  Earnings  per  mile  of  track  105-6 

Earnings,  Trackage  and  Car  Miles  per  capita 106-7 

Ratios — Operating  Expenses  and  Bank  Clearings  to  Gross 

Earnings,    Run-off   to    Revenue   Car   Miles 108-9 

Average  Fare  &  Transfers  in  per  cent  of  Revenue  Passengers  110-11 
Comparative  Industrial  Growth  of  Pittsburgh  District...       112 

Map — Passenger  Movement  by  Districts 112-13 

Map — Annual  Earnings  by  Districts 112-13 


»  4 


88       THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


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RECORDS  OF  PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS  89 


RECORD  OF  FINANCIAL  RESULTS. 

These  records  give  the  income  and  expense  accounts  of  the 
Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  for  the  last  eight  fiscal  years,  or 
since  the  organization  of  the  surface  railways  into  one  system. 

This  information  has  been  plotted  graphically  and  a  study 
of  the  table  and  accompanying  diagrams  will  bring  out  the  most 
important  facts  in  the  financial  history  of  the  system.  The  strik- 
ing fact  is  that  there  has  been  a  deficit  for  the  last  three 
fiscal  years  increasing  from  $521,256  in  1908  to  $1,321,453  in  1910. 

In  seeking  a  cause  for  this  deficit  the  falling  off  of  earnings 
during  the  recent  financial  panic  is  at  once  noticeable.  In  1906 
the  earnings  increased  $943,238  over  the  previous  year,  and  in 
1907  there  was  another  increase  of  $720,004.  If  this  rate  of 
increase  had  not  been  disturbed,  it  is  safe  to  say  there  would 
have  been  little  or  no  deficit,  which  during  the  past  three  years 
has  accumulated  until  it  now  reaches  a  total  of  $2,591,972. 

A  decided  effort  was  apparently  made  in  1909  to  reduce 
expenses  in  order  to  counteract  this  drop  in  earnings.  In  this 
effort  the  car  service  was  cut  down,  the  expenditures  for  main- 
tenance of  way  and  equipment  was  curtailed  to  a  very  low  limit 
and  the  extraordinary  maintenance  account,  which  had  been 
started  the  previous  year,  was  cut  by  two-thirds.  The  result  was 
that,  although  the  eamingsfell  off  $931,167  in  the  year  ending  March 
31,  1909  as  compared  with  the  previous  year,  the  deficit  for  the 
year  was  but  $228,005  more  than  the  year  ending  March  31, 1908. 

Apparently  it  was  impossible  to  keep  up  these  economies 
and  with  the  recovery  of  earnings  during  the  past  year,  the  allow- 
ances for  maintenance  and  service  have  increased  to  nearer  the 
normal  requirements. 


i 


90    THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


RECORDS  OF  PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS 


91 


Fiscal  year  1910.  The  result  for  the  last  fiscal  year  ending 
March  31,  1910  is  apparently  a  fair  indication  of  what  may  be 
expected  of  the  present  property.  These  results  are  briefly 
recapitulated  below.  As  the  income  is  approximately  a  multiple 
of  100,  the  percentage  that  each  item  bears  to  the  total  income 
may  be  seen  at  a  glance. 

The  only  allowance  for  renewals  shown  in  the  record  is  for 
"extraordinary  maintenance  expenses"  reaching  a  maximum  of 
$336,198  during  the  last  fiscal  year,  which  item  includes  an 
annual  item  for  $40,000  for  car  trust  notes. 


SUMMARY  OF  INCOME  ACCOUNT— 1910. 

PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS  COMPANY. 

INCOME— Year  ending  March  31,  1910. 

Earnings  from  operation. .  .$9,922,015.81 
Other  income 78,954.13 

Total  income $10,000,969.94 

OPERATING  EXPENSE. 

Operation $5,839,458.92 

Bridge  tolls 109,353.31 

Taxes 418,126.88 

Total  operating  expenses 

and  taxes $6,366,939.11 

Extraordinary  maintenance  $  366,198.75 

Total  operation $6,733,137.86 

Net  result  from  operation...  $3,267,832.08 

DEDUCTIONS. 

Rentals $2,278,869.21 

Interest  on  funded  debt. . . .   1,869,989.90 

$M48,859.11 
Miscell.    interest    and    dis- 
count       435,756.85 

Tenement  expense 4,669.25 $4,589,285.21 

DEFICIT  $1,321,453.13 


^m 


92       THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


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RECORDS  OF  PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS  93 


Distribution  of  Expenditures. 

A  study  of  the  percentage  diagrams  shows  that  it  will  be  im- 
practicable to  reduce  the  actual  operating  expenses,  (in  percent  of 
earnings)  below  the  following  amounts  which  may  be  considered 
the  minimum. 


Year  1910 

Maintenance  of  equipment 7.37% 

Maintenance  of  way 5.41 " 

Transportation  and  power 35.90  " 

General  expenses 9.69  " 

Bridge  tolls L09  ^* 

59.46% 
Taxes., 4.18" 

Total .63.64% 


Estimated 
Lowest 

7.0% 
5.0" 
35.0  " 
8.0" 
1.0" 

56.0% 
4.0" 

60.0% 


It  will  be  noted  that  the  above  does  not  include  any  allowance 
for  depreciation.  The  only  items  of  this  nature  in  the  company's 
account  is  the  expense  for  "extraordinary  maintenance"  which 
never  has  amounted  to  4%  of  earnings. 

This  study,  therefore,  indicates  that  the  deficit  cannot  be 
avoided  by  economy  in  operating  expenses,  and  this  fact  focuses 
attention  on  the  annual  fixed  charges,  viz. : 

Rentals  of  leased  property. 

Interest  on  funded  debt  of  Pittsburgh  Railways  Com- 
pany and  leased  companies. 

Miscellaneous  interest  and  discount. 

These  three  items  have  been  constantly  increasing  in  amount 
since  the  organization  of  the  company  until  last  year  when  they 
amounted  to  over  45%  of  the  income. 

If  the  total  operating  expense  cannot  be  reduced  to  less  than 
60%  of  the  earnings  and  if  depreciation  requires  an  allowance 
equal  to  10%,  making  a  total  of  70%,  only  30%  of  the  earnings 
will  be  available  for  fixed  charges.  If  these  charges  amount  to 
45%  instead  of  30%,  there  must  be  an  annual  deficit  equal  to 
15%  of  the  earnings  anticipated.  On  the  other  hand,  if  this  is 
to  be  avoided,  the  fixed  charges  must  be  reduced  by  one-third  on 
the  basis  of  the  present  earnings,  or  else  the  earnings  must 
increase  by  50%,  i.  e.  to  about  $15,000,000  per  year  before  the 
present  fixed  charges  can  be  equitably  earned  without  a  deficit. 


94       THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


i* 


u 


RECORDS  OF  PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS  95 


RECORD  OF  YEARLY  EARNINGS. 

The  opposite  diagram  records  the  annual  earnings  since 
1881  of  all  companies  comprising  the  present  Pittsburgh  Rail- 
ways system,  following  in  succession  the  various  extensions  of 
system  and  changes  in  motive  power.  The  droops  in  the  earnings 
curve  indicate  the  results  of  financial  stringencies  in  1893,  1904 
and  1908.  In  1893-4  earnings  fell  approximately  $900,000  below 
what  they  would  have  been,  based  on  previous  increase.  In 
1904  the  earnings  were  affected  $800,000  and  in  1908  nearly 
$2,000,000  by  the  panic  of  that  year.  That  these  declines  are 
directly  traceable  to  financial  conditions  of  the  District  is  clearly 
evident  by  comparison  with  Pittsburgh  bank  clearings  where  the 
same  droops  are  in  evidence.  The  net  result  of  the  two  panics  is 
that  the  earnings  of  last  year  were  $3,000,000  less  than  might  have 
been  expected  by  estimating  upon  a  rate  of  growth  prevailing 
at  the  time  the  present  system  was  organized.  At  that  time 
(1902)  the  earnings  were  increasing  at  a  greater  rate  than  during 
any  subsequent  period. 

Population.  The  curve  of  population  covers  the  entire  trac- 
tion district  served  by  the  present  company  and  indicates  a 
present  population  of  over  1,000,000  people.  In  interurban  terri- 
tory, tributary  population  has  been  considered  as  lying  within 
a  strip  li  miles  on  either  side  of  the  railway  company's  line. 

In  times  of  normal  business  prosperity,  earnings  per  capita 
should  grow  directly  as  the  population.  The  record  for  Pitts- 
burgh indicates  that  at  times,  the  growth  has  been  at  a  much 
faster  rate. 

Car  miles.  The  small  depression  in  the  curve  of  revenue 
car  miles  occurs  in  1904  and  1908,  as  in  the  case  of  earnings, 
showing  that  with  the  decrease  in  revenue,  the  service  rendered 
was  also  decreased. 


96        THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


RECORDS  OF  PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS 


97 


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98        THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


.  i 


i 

1% 


:§' 


1 


REVENUE  CAR  MILES  OPERATED  BY  MONTHS. 

PITTSBURGH    RAILWAYS    COMPANY. 


1902 

January 2,651 ,545 

February , 2,403.199 

March 2.616,395 

April 2.656.767 

May 2.829,385 

June 2,737.626 


First  Six  Months 15,894,917 

July 2.902,133 

August 2.913.592 

September 2,743,714 

October 2,854,223 

November 2.751 .014 

December 2.835.742 


Second  Six  Months 17.000.418 

Total  Year 32.895,335 

1906 

January 2,907.444 

February 2,619.888 

March 2.907,684 

April 2,821,393 

May 3.021.996 

June 2,965,532 


1903 

2.800.429 
2.524.619 
2,891,114 
2,842,471 
3.035.696 
3,027.835 

17.122,064 

3.122.372 
3.090,298 
2,942,042 
2.962,473 
2.788.121 
2.889.358 

17,795.264 

34,917.328 


1907 

3,061.395 
2,784,469 
2,875.937 
3,021,995 
3.187,253 
3.055.171 


1908 

2,855  657 
2.505,290 
2.612,776 
2,525.437 
2,633.832 
2,669,101 


1904 

2,686,135 
2.528,295 
2,751,240 
2,660,063 
2.832,599 
2,741.926 

16.200.258 

2.814,416 
2.744,668 
2,578.104 
2,649.774 
2,585.119 
2,819.720 

16.191.801 

32,392.059 

1909 

2.780,823 
2,544.408 
2,865,749 
2810,528 
2.990.955 
2.804.714 


1905 

2,704,560 
2,509.413 
2.807,675 
2.778.804 
2.961.672 
2.916.773 

16,677.797 

3.064.086 
3.032.897 
2.885,969 
2.961.542 
2.845.455 
2.939,783 

17.729.732 

34.407,429 

1910 
2,993,734 
2.718.729 
3.088,638 


First  Six  Months.  .17.243,937         17.986,220         15.802,093         16.797.177 


July 3.073.674  3.138.771  2.714,919 

August 3.067,321  3.119.724  2,626.504 

September 2.967,799  2.956,004  2,582.412 

October 3.011,777  3,055.693  2.706.179 

November 2.908  710  2,915,592  2.547.218 

December 3.078.098  3.020.469  2,811.020 

Second  Six  Months  18.107.279  18,206  253  15,988,252 

Total  Year 35.351,216  36.192,473  31,790.345 


3,136,159 
3.085,923 
2.963.275 
3.063.139 
2,930.377 
3,104.130 


18,283.003 
35.080.180 


Note. — Data  includes  run  off  mileage  and  special  car  revenue  mileage  from  May,  1904. 

Does  not  include  mileage  of  Inclines  or  of  Pittsburg  and  Castle  Shannon  Railroad 
(except  after  July   1909 — electrification.) 


RECORDS  OF  PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS  99 


MONTHLY  TRAFFIC  RECORD. 

The  record  on  the  opposite  page  shows  the  varying  riding 
habit  of  the  passengers  from  season  to  season.  It  will  be  noted 
there  are  considerably  more  passengers  carried  in  the  summer 
than  in  the  winter  months,  February  being  the  lowest  of  the  year, 
both  on  account  of  season  and  its  being  the  shortest  month. 
In  general  July  shows  the  largest  traffic.  Outside  the  monthly 
changes,  a  gradual  increase  in  traffic  is  recorded  from  1902  to 
1907,  with  the  exception  of  a  slight  drop  in  1904.  The  depress- 
ion of  1908  shows  very  plainly  the  effect  of  the  panic  commenc- 
ing October,  1907.  Since  then  a  gradual  improvement  is  rec- 
orded, and  the  first  few  months  of  1910  would  indicate  that  in 
this  respect,  the  number  of  passengers  carried  will  exceed  the  re- 
cord of  the  banner  year,  1907.  The  record  of  revenue  pass- 
engers includes  the  users  of  free  tickets;  but  as  free  tickets  are 
issued  to  employees  of  the  company  only,  their  effect  is  inappre- 
ciable. 

Transfers.  The  shaded  section  lying  above  the  curve  of 
revenue  passengers  indicates  the  number  of  free  transfers  used. 
These  varied  from  10%  to  13%  in  excess  of  revenue  passengers, 
during  the  first  year,  1902,  or  13%  to  16%  during  1908,  the 
greater  percentage  occurring  during  the  summer  months. 

Bank  clearings  for  comparison  are  plotted  here  by  months. 
It  will  be  noted  that  the  fluctuations  in  clearings  are  closely  re- 
flected in  the  monthly  passenger  business  of  the  Railways  Com- 
pany. It  is  also  interesting  to  note  that  the  bank  clearings  for 
the  present  year  are  again  on  the  increase. 

Revenue  car  miles  vary  with  the  season  somewhat  similarly 
to  passengers.  The  record  shows  that  an  effort  is  made  to  vary 
the  car  miles  to  suit  passenger  traffic  both  by  seasons  and  by 
years.  Again  the  depression  of  1908  is  conspicuous,  and  to  a 
lesser  degree  in  1904.  Note  that  the  number  of  car  miles  furnished 
during  1908  was  less  than  any  previous  year  shown.*  The  years  of 
1903  and  1904  were  practically  equal  in  passengers  carried,  but  car 
miles  averaged  about  2,000,000  less  in  1904,  showing  the  effect  of 
the  policy  of  retrenchment  prevailing.  Again,  the  revenue 
passengers  carried  in  1908  was  14,500,000  in  excess  of  1903,  but 
the  car  miles  in  1908  totaled  about  3,250,000  less.  That  con- 
siderable improvement  was  made  in  the  car  service  in  1909  is 
evidenced  by  the  rising  curve,  and  for  the  first  few  months  of 
1910,  the  car  miles  furnished  have  been  greater  than  during  any 
corresponding  period  in  the  company's  history. 

*The  company  reports  that  the  cars  withdrawn  from  service  during  this  year  were 
mostly  small  cars  which  were  to  a  certain  extent  replaced  by  larger  cars;  consequently  the 
retrenchment  in  service  if  measured  in  seat  miles  would  not  be  as  great  as  indicated  by  this 
record  of  car  miles. 


100      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


STATEMENT    OF    TRACK    MILEAGE    AND    GROSS    EARNINGS 
FROM   ANNUAL   REPORT   OF   SECRETARY   OF    INTERNAL  AFFAIRS. 

REPORTED    AS    OP    DECEMBER    3lST.    UP    TO    1888    INCLUSIVE,    AS    OF    JUNE    30tH. 

FROM    1890    TO    1909. 

PITTSBURGH    RAILWAYS    SYSTEM 


YEAR 

1881 
1882 
1883 
1884 
1885 
1886 
1887 
1888 
1889 
1890 
1891 
1892 
1893 
1894 
1895 
1896 
1897 
1898 
1899 
1900 
1901 
1902 
1903 
1904 
1905 
1906 
1907 
1908 
1909 
1910 


CONSOLIDATED 
TRACTION 
COMPANY 


18.36 
19.86 
13.25 
13.25 

"12.21 

19.11 

45.40 

43.40 

73.98 

92.24 

156.14 

139.00 

154.64 

160.43 

170.57 

187.02 


MILES    OF    TRACK 

UNITED  SOUTHERN 

TRACTION  TRACTION 

COMPANY  COMPANY 


20.79 
22.24 
24.76 

28.76 

"39.47 

58.90 

70.86 

76.34 

73.05 

115.91 

128.98 

130.81 

149.24 

149.24 

155.10 

157.84 


PITTSBURG  ft 

CASTLE  SHANNON 

RAILROAD 


TOTAL 

MILES 
TRACK 


3.50 
3.50 
5.25 
5.25 

'"5.25 
5.25 
5.25 

12.90 
24.44 
24.44 
45.69 
43.44 
45.44 
45.44 
50.19 
48.80 


6.5 


42.65 
45.60 
43.26 
53.76 


TOTAL 

GROSS 

EARNINGS 

$  683,279 
746,076 
966,445 
925,920 
948,240 
911,622 
1,108,875 
1,230,101 


6.5 

63.43 

1,570,214 

6.5 

89.76 

2.034,809 

6.5 

128.01 

2,515,848 

6.5 

139.14 

2,861,535 

6.5 

177.97 

2,681,319 

6.5 

239.09 

2,869,000 

6.5 

337.31 

3,591,343 

6.6 

319.75 

4,016,437 

6.5 

355.82 

4.351,424 

6.5 

361.61 

4,971,745 

6.5 

382.36 

6,008,357 

6.5 

400 .  16 

6,758,724 

6.5 

407 .  18 

7,713,165 

6.5 

415.61 

8,441,864 

6.5 

446.59 

8.789,598 

6.5 

470.79 

8,785,492 

491.85 

9,736,553 

513.53 

10,298,032 

525.42 

9,792,526 

545.92 

9.258,083 

581.00 

,  I 


I  11 


!•! 


RECORDS  OF  PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS 


101 


1 

MILES  OF  TRACK, POPULATION,  ANP'  OUTPUT  OF  STEEL 

10 

TONS       PERSONS 
000000     I0:00000| 

,/ 

y 

M 

LES 
500 

9 

000000      9  00000 

/ 

/ 

\y 

/ 

a 

000000      8 

OOQOO 

TRACK  MILEAGE^ 

_j    1 JT^ 

r^ 

400 

7 

000  000       7 

00000 

f 

y 

/^0PUL|ATIO  ^ 

6 

000  000     gIooooo 

r 

^ 

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SERvera/ 

1 

300 

5 

000  000       5 

00000 

/ 

^^ 

/ 

A 

000006       A 

00000 

/ 

r—* 

/ 

''steel  tonnage 

1 

?00 

3  000  001 

3  00000 

/ 

/ 

2 

000  00( 

/ 

,/^ 

/ 

100 

1 

000001 

- 

:^ 

/^ 

CALENDAR   YEAR 

66  87  86  69       9i   92  93  S^  95  96  97  98  99        01  02  03  04  05  06  07  06  09         II    12    13  14   15    16   17   16  19        2l  22 

esj  1890  1900  i9io  iseo 


23  24 


RECORD  OF  TRACK  MILEAGE. 
From  reports  to  the  State  Secretary  of  Internal  Affairs. 

This  curve  shows  the  total  single  track  mileage  of  all  com- 
panies operating  in  the  Pittsburgh  District  and  which  now  con- 
stitute the  system  of  the  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company.  It 
indicates  nearly  continuous  growth  from  about  43  miles  in  1886 
to  581  miles  in  1910. 

During  the  period  of  most  rapid  extension  of  the  trackage, 
1890  to  1896,  the  system  increased  from  63  miles  to  337  miles, 
or  at  an  average  rate  of  55  miles  per  year.  The  record  was  nearly 
100  miles  per  year  in  1895-6.  Since  1897,  track  extensions  have 
been  maintained  at  an  average  rate  of  20  miles  per  year,  in  fact 
the  lines  of  the  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  have  been  extend- 
ing at  a  slightly  greater  rate  than  the  population. 

In  the  table  the  subdivided  mileage  is  shown  for  the  three 
principal  underlying  companies — The  United  Traction  Company, 
the  Consolidated  Traction  Company  and  the  Southern  Traction 
Company 


It'"' 


%■ 


■■    il 


I  M 


102      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


GROSS  EARNINGS  PER  REVENUE  CAR  MILE  BY  MONTHS. 

PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS  COMPANY. 


January 

February 

March 

Apni 

May 

June 

First  Six  months. 

July 

August , 

September , 

October 

November 

December 


1902 

CENTS 

22.08 
21.65 
23.01 
22.97 
25.27 
25.65 

23.50 
26.39 
24.79 
25.52 
24.72 
24.41 
24.13 


1903 

CENTS 

23.29 
23.36 
23.48 
24.15 
25.62 
25.08 

24.21 
25.62 
25.41 
26.19 
26.28 
24.81 
24.00 


1904   1905   1906 

CENTS  CENTS  CENTS 


1907   1908 

CENTS  CENTS 


1909   1910 

CENTS  CENTS 


23.40 
23.63 
24.38 
25.66 
26.71 
27.60 

25.26 
27.83 
26.60 
28.11 
27.49 
26.29 
25.34 


24.13 
24.08 
24.86 
25.82 
27.10 
27.91 

25.71 

27.61 
27.11 
28.75 
27.30 
26.79 
27.11 


26.25 
25.95 
25.78 
28.01 
29.08 
29.60 

27.49 

29.10 
28.17 
29.26 
28.26 
27.66 
27.04 


25.97 
25.88 
27.57 
27.17 
28.65 
30.16 

27.60 
29.84 
28.65 
29.67 
28.75 
27.97 
26.88 


25.81 
26.71 
27.65 
28.82 
29.84 
29.85 

28.09 

29.06 
29.26 
29.45 
29.65 
28.48 
27.49 


26.31 
26.48 
26.24 
27.12 
28.10 
28.07 

27.07 

27.48 
27.16 
28.16 
28.47 
28.12 
27.10 


26.59 
26.44 
27.58 


Second  Six  months.   25.00     25.40     26.93     27.44     28.25     28.63     28.89     27.74       

Total  including  parks.   24.27     24.81     26. 10 See  Note  Below 

Totalless  parks 24.08     24.73     26.02     26.60    27.88     28.12     28.49     27.42     

Note — Park  receipts  have  been  deducted  monthly  except  in  1902,  1903  and  1934  when  they 
were  deducted  in  total  at  end  of  year. 


TOTAL  PASSENGERS  PER  REVENUE  CAR  MILE  BY  MONTHS. 

PITTSBURGH    RAILWAYS    COMPANY 

1902  1903  1904  1905  1906  1907  1908  1909 


1910 


January 

4.93 

5.22 

5.32 

5.47 

5.97 

5.88 

5.92 

6.06      5. 

98 

February 

4.81 

5.24 

5.36 

5.41 

5.90 

5.87 

6.13 

6.07      5. 

96 

March 

5.12 

5.28 

5.56 

5.64 

5.87 

6.27 

6.38 

6.04      6. 

22 

April 

5.13 

5.43 

5.84 

5.87 

6.34 

6.17 

6.66 

6.22       .. 

May 

5.57 

5.76 

6.08 

6.17 

6.67 

6.54 

6.96 

6.42       .. 

June 

5.70 

5.64 

6.27 

6.38 

6.78 

6.87 

6.93 

6.40 

July 

5.83 

5.76 

6.32 

6.29 

6.68 

6.83 

6.77 

6.28       .. 

August 

5.53 

5.69 

6.12 

6.23 

6.54 

6.62 

6.87 

6.24      .. 

September  .  .  . 

5.78 

5.95 

6.45 

6.58 

6.78 

6.82 

6.91 

6.46       .. 

October 

5.59 

5.94 

6.28 

6.23 

6.49 

6.60 

6.85 

6.57 

November.  .  .  . 

5.48 

5.58 

5.98 

5.38 

6.30 

6.38 

6.58 

6.43 

December  .  .  .  . 

5.39 

5.42 

5.72 

6.13 

6.17 

6.14 

6.32 

6.17 

Average,  Year 

5.43 

5.59 

5.97 

6.06 

6.38 

6.43 

6.60 

6.28 

•   • 

OPERATING  EXPENSES  PER  REVENUE  CAR  MILE. 

PITTSBURGH    RAILWAYS    COMPANY 


CALENDAR 
YEAR 


CENTS 


CALENDAR 
YEAR 


CENTS 


1902 12.21 

1903 13.33 

1904 14.32 

1905 14.33 

Excludes  Parks  and  Inclines. 

Includes  Operating  Expenses  and  dead  mileage  of  non-revenue  cars. 


1906 15.17 

1907 14.46 

1908 15.99 

1909 15.91 


RECORDS  OF  PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS 


103 


CZHTS 


16 

6 


PER  REVENUE  CAR  MILE 


6R055  EARNINGS  PER  REVENUE  CAR  MILE 


OPERATING  EXPENSES  PER  REVENUE  CAR  MILE 


TOTAL  PASSENGERS  PER  REVENUE  CAR  MILE 


PASSENGERS 

7 


1902  1903 


1904  1905  IS>06  1907  1908  1909  I9l0  I9U 


1912 


.   OPERATING  RESULTS  PER  REVENUE  CAR  MILE. 

Gross  Earnings  per  revenue  car  mile  increased  steadily  from 
an  average  of  24.1c  in  1902  to  a  maximum  of  28.3c  in  1908,  and 
on  account  of  the  relatively  increased  number  of  car  miles  in  1909, 
the  earnings  dropped  to  27.4c  per  car  mile. 

It  will  be  noted  that  from  year  to  year  the  earnings  per  car 
mile  in  the  summer  months  are  about  2c  higher  than  the  earnings 
per  car  mile  in  the  winter  months,  but  that  during  1909  the  differ- 
ence between  seasons  was  not  so  marked. 

Operating  expenses  per  revenue  car  mile  increased  from  12.1c 
in  1902  to  16.2c  in  1907,  while  for  the  last  two  years,  the  average 
has  been  practically  16c.  The  monthly  fluctuations  are  not 
included  in  the  record. 

Total  Passengers  per  revenue  car  mile  is  the  best  available 
measure  of  service  from  year  to  year,  as  this  ratio  takes  into 
account  the  number  of  transfer  passengers.  According  to  this 
record,  the  standard  of  service  furnished  decreased  from  1902  to 
1908*  with  a  considerable  improvement  in  1909.  The  record  for 
the  first  few  months  in  1910  agrees  closely  with  previous  years. 

*It  has  been  claimed  by  the  company  that  this  statement  is  somewhat  misleading  as  the 
car  mile  record  does  not  take  into  account  the  increase  in  size  of  some  of  the  cars  gradually 
put  in  service  during  the  later  years  of  this  period  as  well  as  improvement  in  schedules.  In 
order  to  ascertain  whether  this  statement  should  be  corrected,  an  unsuccessful  attempt  has 
been  made  by  the  writer  to  secure  from  the  company  the  seat  mile  records  for  the  period.  In 
the  absence  of  these  seat  mile  records  a  more  accurate  comparison  cannot  be  made  than  upon 
the  car  mile  basis  taken. 


•' 


l-l- 


l  >'l 


104    THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


♦12.000,000 


11.000.000 


10.000.000- -5 

-a 


9,000,000- -\ 


8,000.000- 


7,000,000 


-11  I  1 1  I  I  I  I  I  lliUJ-U-U.liiJ-LUiJi44 
if  DIAGRAM     SHOWING  difl 


Variation  in  Car  Mile.  Earnings 

«  OF  THE 

^'ITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS  CO. 


RELATION  OF  EARNINGS  TO  CAR  MILES. 

It  is  instructive  to  note  the  history  of  the  Pittsburgh  Rail- 
ways Company  as  shown  by  the  above  graphical  record.  This 
diagram  differs  from  the  previous  one  in  that  it  shows  the  relation 
between  two  quantities — earnings  and  car  miles — instead  of  the 
yearly  variation  in  one.  And  the  radial  lines  indicate  directly 
the  ratio  between  these  quantities  in  cents  per  car  mile.  The 
diagram  therefore  shows  at  once  for  each  fiscal  year  three  quan- 
tities— the  earnings — the  car  miles — and  the  earnings  per  car  mile. 

For  the  fiscal  year  ending  March  31st,  1903,  the  earnings 
were  slightly  less  than  25  cents  per  car  mile.  In  the  following 
year  earnings  increased,  but  the  number  of  car  miles  were  in- 
creased in  nearly  the  same  proportion  and  therefore  the  earnings 
per  car  mile  increased  but  slightly.  In  the  following  year,  1905, 
earnings  decreased  on  account  of  the  panic,  but  car  miles  were 
withdrawn  at  an  even  greater  rate,  so  that  the  earnings  per  car 
mile  increased  to  26.4  cents.  In  1906  and  again  in  1907,  earn- 
ings advanced,  but  the  earnings  per  car  mile  also  increased.  In 
1909,  the  panic  affected  the  earnings  and  the  number  of  car  miles 
operated  was  less  than  for  any  year  since  the  organization  of  the 
system.  In  this  year  the  average  earnings  per  car  mile  reached 
28.78  cents,  the  highest  record  for  eight  years.  In  the  last  fiscal 
year,  however,  the  earnings  have  increased  and  more  car  miles 
were  run  in  proportion,  so  that  the  earnings  per  car  mile  were 
reduced  to  27.79  cents. 


RECORDS  OF  PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS 


105 


M 


45  000 


40 


35  000 


20 
15 
10 


% 

000 


000 


30000 

25 


PERSONS 
2000 


1000 


500 


000 


PER  MILE  OV  SINGLE  TRACK 

I     \     1     I     \     \     F~X 

POPULATION  SERVED  PER  MILE  TRACK 


REVENUE  CAR  MILES  PER  MILE  TRACK 

1 -t— — 


GROSS  EARNINGS  PER  MILE  TRACK 


\. 


jsoooc 


iTDOOO 


60000 


isoooa 


1886  87  88  89       91  92  93  94  95  96  97  98  99,-^01  02  03  04  05  06  07  08  09. „,^ II    12  13  14  15   16  17  16  1^       2122232425 
•oso  I3U0  1910  1920 

RATIO— PER  MILE  OF  SINGLE  TRACK. 

Population,  The  slight  droop  in  the  upper  curve  showing  the 
people  served  per  mile  of  track,  indicates  that  the  trackage  of 
the  system  has  increased  at  a  faster  rate  than  the  population. 
In  1897  there  were  1870  people  served  per  mile.  Although  popu- 
lation since  then  has  been  constantly  growing,  the  track  has  ex- 
tended so  much  faster,  that  in  1909  only  1727  people  were  served 
per  mile. 

Car  miles  per  mile  of  track  gives  a  measure  of  the  relative 
service  rendered  at  different  times  in  carrying  capacity.  Since 
1902,  a  reduction  from  80,000  to  60,000  has  been  made,  although 
last  year  shows  a  slight  increase.  Outside  of  the  actual  car 
mile  service  rendered,  part  of  this  reduction  is  due  to  expansion 
into  suburban  territory  where  less  frequent  service  is  demanded. 

Earnings.  The  chief  point  of  interest  relative  to  earnings 
is  the  comparison  between  horse  and  cable  lines  and  the  present 
electric  lines.  Horse  car  lines  earned  from  $20,000  to  $25,000  per 
mile,  a  record  which  has  never  been  exceeded  in  Pittsburgh.  The 
shrinkage  in  earnings  to  $12,000  per  mile,  which  followed  the  build- 
ing of  cable  and  electric  lines  was  largely  due  to  excessively  rapid 
expansion.  Since  1895,  earnings  per  mile  have  steadily  increased 
to  nearly  $20,000  per  mile  although  twice  checked  by  business  de- 
pressions. For  the  last  year  the  earnings  averaged  nearly  $17,000 
per  mile. 


106      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


f(,' 


RATIO-PER  MILE  OF  SINGLE  TRACK. 

PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS  CO. 


CALENDAR 
YEAR 


POPULATION 
SERVED  PER 
MILE  TRACK 


REVENUE  CAR 

MILES  PER  MILE 

TRACK 


1885 

1886 

1887 

1888 

1889 

1890 

1891 

1892 

1893. 

1894 

1895 

1896 

1897 

1898 

1899 

1900 

1901 

1902 

1903 

1904 

1905 

1906 

1907 

1908 

1909 

Note  A — Mileage 


excludes 


1,870 

1,885 

1,839 

1,837 

1,807 

1,806 

1,858 

1,798 

1,772 

1,753 

1,742 

1,760 

1,751 

1,727 

Pittsburgh    & 


80.800 
79,700 
70,300 
71,200 
70,000 
70,000 
59.200 
61,300 

Castle  Shannon 


GROSS  EARN- 
INGS PER  MILE 
TRACK 

22,220 

20.000 

25,600 

22,860 

24,260 

23,540 

20,900 

20,100 

17,520 

13,280 

11,180 

11,580 

12,400 

12,970 

14,750 

16,300 

17,780 

19,260 

19,510 

18,070  . 

18,820 

19,500 

19,680 

16.820 

16,760 

R.  R.  and 


Inclines — 8.97  miles  total  single  track. 


PER  CAPITA 

s 

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AR 

1695 

1896 

1897 

I89& 

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ISOO 

1901 

1902 

1903 

1904 

1905 

1906 

1907 

1906 

1909 

1910 

1911 

1912 

1913 

1914 

RECORDS  OF  PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS  107 


PER  CAPITA  RECORD. 

One  of  the  most  important  factors  in  studying  the  trans- 
portation system  is  the  average  riding  habit  of  the  population 
as  measured  by  the  earnings  per  capita,  and  the  most  encourag- 
ing aspect  is  the  gradual  increase  in  earnings  per  capita  as  the 
population  increases.  The  actual  relation  varies  in  different 
cities,  but  in  general,  it  may  be  said  to  increase  at  a  rate  at  least 
equal  to  the  rate  of  increase  in  population. 

Earnings  per  capita  in  Pittsburgh  have  increased  within  recent 
years  from  $6.19  in  1896  to  a  maximum  of  $11.15  in  1906-7, 
falling  to  $9.70  in  1909.  At  present  the  average  is  about  $10.00. 
It  is  noticeable  that  the  earnings  per  capita  increased  at  a  greater 
rate  before  the  organization  of  the  Pittsburgh  Railways  Company 
than  since  that  date.  The  depressions  of  1904  and  1908  are  due 
to  commercial  conditions  of  the  District,  as  elsewhere  noted,  the 
latter  having  a  much  greater  effect. 

Track.  In  miles  of  track  per  1000  inhabitants,  the  system 
has  grown  since  1906  somewhat  faster  then  the  population  served, 
from  0.535  to  0.578,  or  slightly  over  8%. 

Car  Miles.  The  curve  of  revenue  car  miles  per  capita  covers 
the  period  of  the  present  Company.  It  shows  a  decrease  from 
42.6  in  1902  to  a  minimum  of  33.2  in  1907,  increasing  to  35.0  in 
1909.  This  drop  may  be  partly  accounted  for  by  extensions  of 
track  into  outlying  territory  and  the  use  of  larger  cars  during 
the  later  years. 


RATIO— PER  CAPITA 

PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS   CO. 

CALENDAR  ^«°SS  EARN- 

YEAR  I^'f^S  PER 

CAPITA 

1896 6.19 

1897 6.58 

1898 : 7.07 

1899 8.04 

1900 9.03 

1901 9.83 

1902 10.35 

1903 10.83 

1904 10.18 

1905 10.73 

1906 11.15 

1907 11.15 

1908 9.60 

1909 9.70 


REVENUE  CAR 

MILES  OF  TRACK 

MILES  PER 

PER   1000 

CAPITA 

INHABITANTS 



.535 

•      •     •      • 

.530 

•      •      •      • 

.544 

•      •      •      • 

.545 

•      •     •      • 

.554 

•      •      •      • 

.554 

42.6 

.537 

43.5 

.556 

38.8 

.564 

39.9 

.570 

39.4 

.573 

39.1 

.567 

33.2 

.570 

35.0 

.578 

II! 


108      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


RATIOS. 

Bank  Clearings  are  a  fair  index  of  trade  conditions.  This 
curve  shows  a  reasonably  uniform  ratio;  that  for  every  $250  in 
clearings  the  railway  company  earns  $1.00,  or  that  earnings  are 
equal  to  about  4-10  of  1  %  of  banking  business  done. 

Ratio  of  expenses  to  earnings  from  operation  of  the  system 
is  important  in  furnishing  the  measure  of  the  Company's  policy 
in  returning  a  certain  part  of  the  earnings  to  the  system  in  various 
forms,  such  as  car  operation,  maintenance,  etc.  This  ratio  has 
increased  from  50.6%  in  1902  to  a  maximum  of  59.2%  in  1907. 
These  figures  are  for  calendar  years  and  do  not  include  taxes. 

Run  off  mileage  of  the  system  is  a  nearly  constant  factor, 
amounting  to  about  3%  of  the  total.  This  covers  all  the  run  off 
and  run  on,  or  so  called  "dead"  mileage  of  strictly  revenue  earning 
cars  between  the  car  barns  and  point  of  service,  and  is  a  measure 
of  the  proper  location  of  car  barns  with  reference  to  routes  served. 
This  dead  mileage  is  included  in  all  calculations  involving  revenue 
car  miles. 


RATIO— BANK  CLEARINGS  TO  GROSS 
EARNINGS  FROM   OPERATION 


PITTSBURGH    RAILWAYS  CO. 


CALENDAR 
YEAR 


RATIO 


CALENDAR 
YEAR 


1890. 

1891 

1892, 

1893. 

1894. 

1895. 

1896. 

1897. 

1898. 

1899. 

1900. 


.437 

.299 

.281 

.240 

.237 

232 

195 

196 

209 

278 

253 


1901. 
J  902. 
1903. 
1904. 
1905. 
1906. 
1907. 
1908. 
1909. 


RATIO 

.284 

.268 
.270 
.242 
.270 
.264 
.265 
.224 
.242 


RATIO— OPERATING  EXPENSICS 

TO  GROSS  EARNINGS  FROM 

OPERATION 

PITTSBURGH    RAILWAYS    CO. 

CALENDAR  PER 

YEAR  CENT 

1901 

1002 50 . 6 

1903 53.9 

1904 55.1 

1905 54.1 

1906 55.0 

1907 59.2 

1908 56.8 

1909 58.7 

Park  Receipts  and  Park  Ex- 
penses Excluded. 


RECORDS  OF  PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS 


109 


3 
2 
I 

.7 
.6 
.5 
A 
.3 
.2 


RATIOS 
00 


oo 


00 


RATIOS 


BANK  CLEARINGS  TO  GROSS  EARNINGS 


OPERATING  EXPENSES  TO  GROSS  EARNINGS 


.03 


.02 


RUN  OFF  TO  REVENUE  CAR  MILES 


CALENDAR  YEAR 


04 


03 


02 


1902 


1903 


td04 


1905 


1906 


1907 


1908 


1908 


1910 


1911 


1912 


REVENUE  RUN  OFF  CAR  MILES  OPERATED  BY  MONTHS 

PITTSBURGH    RAILWAYS    COMPANY 


1904 


PER  CENT 
REVENUE 
MILEAGE 


January 

February 

March 

April 

May „_ 74.002 

June 71,241 

Six  Months 

July._„ 72,953 

August. 72,013 

September 69,422 

October 77,656 

November 78,902 

December 80,578 


Six  Months 451.524 

Total  Year 


2.6 
2.6 


2.6 
2.6 
2.7 
2.9 
3.1 
2.9 

2.8 


1905 

84,337 
76,641 
86,577 
84,572 
88,323 
80,153 
500,603 

82,613 
87,232 
82,142 
89,119 
84,437 
79,798 

505,341 
1,005,944 


PER  CENT 
REVENUE 
MILEAGE 

3.1 
3.1 
3.1 
3.0 
3.0 
2.7 
3.0 

2.7 
2.9 
2.8 
3.0 
3.0 
2.7 


2.9 
2.9 


1906 

87,295 
79,255 
86,132 
82,473 
88,523 
90,357 
514,035 

91,674 
94,438 
90,301 
91,254 
90,567 
94,343 

552,577 
1,066,612 


PER  CENT 
REVENUE 
MILEAGE 

3.0 

3.0 
3.0 
2.9 
2.9 
3.0 
3.0 

3.0 
3.1 
3.0 
3.0 
3.1 
3.1 


3.1 
3.0 


Note. — The   mileage  in  this  statement  is  included  in  statement  of  monthly 
car  miles  operated. 


il 


ft 

I 

I 


k% 


110      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


5. 
4i 


CENT5 


40 


AVERAGE  FARE 


CASH  AND  PAY  TICKETS 


INCLUDING  FREE  TICKETS  AND  PAY  TRANSFERS 


INCLUDING  FREE  TRANSFERS  (TCTTAL  PASSENGERS) 


1902 


1903 


FREt  TRANSFERS  IN  PIR  CENT  OF  REVENUE  PASSENGERS 


1904 


CALENDAR  YEAR 


1905 


1906 


1907 


1908 


PER  CENT 


1909 


1910 


1911 


1912 


AVERAGE  FARE. 


Revenue  Fare.  Dilution  of  the  five  cent  fare  in  Pittsburgh 
is  occasioned  by  two  factors,  free  tickets  and  pay  transfers,  in 
addition  to  the  usual  free  transfers.  Free  tickets,  being  mostly 
used  by  employees  of  the  company,  constitute  only  a  small  per- 
centage of  the  revenue  fare-^about  li%  and  are  negligible.  For 
convenience  they  are  included  in  the  Revenue  Passenger  State- 
ment. Pay  transfers  between  inclines  and  the  surface  lines  con- 
stitute about  0.5%  of  the  revenue  fares,  which  at  the  lower  rate, 
occasion  some  reduction,  so  that  the  average  revenue  fare  exclus- 
ive only  of  free  transfers,  is  practically  4.9c.  Including  free 
transfers,  the  average /are  per  ride  is  diluted  to  about  4.3c. 

Since  1902,  this  average  fare  per  ride  has  gradually  decreased 
from  4.4c  to  the  above  figure,  due  to  an  increase  in  transfers. 

Transfers.  The  lower  curve  records  the  number  of  free  trans- 
fers used  by  revenue  passengers  to  reach  their  destination,  ex- 
pressed in  percentage  of  the  latter  for  both  month  and  average  year. 
This  percentage  varies  with  the  seasons,  being  always  higher  in 
the  summer.  Thus  during  1908,  the  free  transfers  varied  from 
13%  to  16.2%  averaging  14.63%.  The  average  has  increased 
smce  1902  from  11.84%  to  the  above  figure,  the  year  1909  showing 
a  drop  in  transfer  traffic  to  13.75%. 

It  is  evident  from  the  curve  that  the  average  fare  per  ride 
must  be  considerably  lower  during  the  summer  months  that  the 
yearly  average. 


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111 


V 


112        THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


CLEARINGS 


iMo  /Ml    i8«t   ISS3   im*   Ki<»  law   itv  ia«g   i899  imo    1901    i9«   isu    i«>4  i«»  im»   no?   i«af  i«o»  itio   i«ii    i»ii  i»i3   hm  i»is   i»i»   <»<i   mt  i»t» 


COMPARATIVE  YEARLY  RECORDS. 


These  comparative  curves  have  been  plotted  to  show  the 
relative  effects  of  periods  of  prosperity  and  depression  in  the 
Pittsburgh  District  upon  railway  earnings,  and  upon  other 
similar  indices  of  commercial  conditions,  such  as 

1.  Bank  Clearings, 

2.  Steel  Tonnage, 

3.  Railroad  Freight  Tonnage, 

4.  Telephone  Calls, 

5.  Post  Office  Receipts. 

Freight  tonnage  covers  all  in  and  outbound  freight  handled 
within  a  district  about  40  miles  around  Pittsburgh,  not  including 
freight  in  transit.  Similarly,  telephone  calls  are  within  the 
suburban  district  served.  Steel  tonnage  embraces  the  output  of 
all  mills  around  Pittsburgh,  as  reported  by  the  American  Iron  & 
Steel  Association.  Post  office  receipts  cover  most  of  the  sub- 
urban offices  within  a  radius  of  8  miles. 

No  industry  escaped  the  panic  of  1908,  but  the  recovery 
during  1909  indicates  that  the  District  is  rapidly  regaining  the 
prosperity  which  it  enjoyed  during  1906-7.  Note  that  the  post 
office  receipts  and  telephone  calls  were  affected  to  a  much  less 
extent  than  bank  clearings  and  steel  tonnage. 


Si  I 


PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS  Co. 

ACC0MPANYIN6  TMC  REPORT  OF 

BION  J  ARNOLD 

ON   THE 

prrrsBUF?GH  traction  problem 

TO    HON.WILLIAM  A.MAGEE 
MAYOR  OF  PITTSBURGH 


PASSENGER  MOVEMENT— OUTBOUND— IN  PITTSBURGH  AND  VICINITY  FOR  TYPICAL  DAY. 
This  diagram  represents  in  a  relative  measure,  the  destination  of  the  patrons  of  the  railway  system.      In  addition  there  was  a  cross-river  *' business  transit"  of 
16,500  persons,  not  shown.      Approximately,  the  total  travel  per  day,  outbound  and  inbound,  would  be  twice  that  indicated  by  the  diagram.      The  results  here  shown 
are  based  upon  a  traffic  count  for  one  day  during  August,  1906  made  by  Ford,  Bacon  &  Davis,  Consulting  Engineers,  giving  by  actual  count  the  number  of  passengers 
alighting  within  the  various  sections  designated  by  arrows. 


tl: 


The  base  of  each  rectangle 
is  proportional  to  population, 
the  height  to  annual  earn- 
ings per  capita  of  each  dis- 
trict outlined,  and  the  area 
to  the  total  earnings  per  j^ear. 

The  various  areas  were  out- 
lined as  those  territories  trib- 
utary to  the  various  section 
of  line  indicated  by  arrows 
in  the  destination  chart. 


REPRODUCTION  SCALE 

SCALE  or  MAP  t-..!^....i        I        I        1        I        I        f 

POPULATION?         1     "f*    .    ^'^    ,     ^<^        ^OOM 
POPULATION  l....l,...l....l....l        I        I        I        I 

£A«H.N6S  PCRCAPTTA  t.A°.A.°    ^?    ^f    *,<>     *f    ^    ^,0 


•  200000  flOOm  $50000      « 10000 


ANNUAL  EARNINGS  BY  DISTRICT 

PER   CAPITA  BASIS 

ACCOMR^NYINS  TMfe  RCf*OI^T  Of 

BION  J   ARNOLA 

ON   THE 

PITTSBURGH  TRACTION  PROBLEM 

TO    HON. WILLIAM  A.MAGEE 

MAYOR  OF  PITTSBURGH 


.        ,     DISTRIBUTION  OF  ANNUAL  PASSENGEK  EARNINGS-PITTSBURGH  AND  VICINITY 
The  passenger  earnings  for  the  year  1906  were  distributed  by  Ford,  Bacon  &  Davis   aecordin<r  tn  «  A^^Hr^^n  vioii>iji  r. 

here  graphically.  This  map  indicates  the  importance  of  considering.  n;t  only  the  populatLTbut^al  so  the  re  attvlridr  hXt'  V'T'  ".".'  '''  "^""'  "'  ^'"'"" 
hes  necessary  for  any  district.  On  outlying  lines,  all  population  within  a  disianee  of  li  ^Hes  o„  either  side  of  Ihehn^l ^n^^^  a/-u^  """  ''T'^'^''''"  *^""- 
ings  per  capita  varied  in  1906  from  |2.33  to  $28.01,  averaging  approximately  |1  LOG  for  the  en t "re  d strict  considered  tributary  to  them.      The 


earn- 


1  s; 


Pi' 


TRACTION  RESULTS  IN  LARGEST 
AMERICAN  CITIES  COMPARED  WITH 

PITTSBURGH 

Presenting  in  comparative  form  the  fundamental  data  necessary  to 
reach  conclusions  as  to  the  character  and  extent  of 
service  rendered  in  Pittsburgh — Comparative  financial  records, 
showing  the  money  earned  and  put  back  into  service — Taxes, 
Pittsburgh  low — Depreciation — Annual  earnings  from  opera- 
tion— Ratio,  expenses  to  earnings — Track  mileage—Car 
mileage — Graphical  analysis  of  operating  results,  compar- 
ing the  value  and  cost  of  service  in  various  cities — Earnings 
and  expenses  per  car  mile — Passenger  traffic  showing  trans- 
fers— Ratio,  passengers  per  car  mile — Average  fare — Ratio, 
earnings,  car  miles  and  cars  per  mile  of  track — Ratio,  earn- 
ings and  mileage  per  car. 

A  comparison  of  the  results  obtained  by  the  different  surface 
traction  systems  in  all  of  the  largest  American  cities  is  now  desir- 
able and  illuminating — but  conclusions  from  such  a  comparison 
made  at  this  time  should  be  approached  with  caution.  Con- 
ditions surrounding  different  cases  vary  so  that  practice  is  not 
the  same  throughout  the  country;  a  uniform  system  of  accoun- 
ting has  not  yet  been  universally  adopted,  exact  information  is 
not  always  available,  and  a  policy  of  interchanging  information, 
which  no  doubt  will  eventually  be  found  desirable,  has  not  as 
yet  proven  generally  acceptable.  Transportation  has  not  yet 
grown  from  an  art  into  an  exact  science;  and  at  present  the 
necessity  of  a  wider  interchange  of  information  can  only  be  em- 
phasized with  the  hope  that  future  comparisons  will  show  a 
greater  tendency  toward  standardization.  The  following  com- 
parisons have  been  made  from  the  latest  figures  that  it  has  been 
possible  to  obtain  from  official  sources. 

In  studying  any  transportation  system,  the  fundamental 
items  of  critical  interest  are  Earnings;  Service;  Operating  Ratio; 
Deductions  from  Income,  such  as  Taxes  and  Depreciation ;  and 
Profit  to  the  Operating  Company.  Other  data  are  also  useful  in 
a  detailed  study,  such  as  Trackage,  Equipment,  Fares,  Transfers, 
Reserve  Funds.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  comparative  tables 
and  diagrams  show  not  only  the  actual  size  of  the  various  sys- 
tems as  indicated  by  earnings,  track  and  car  mileage,  but  also 
ratios,  such  as  results  per  car  mile  and  per  mile  of  track,  per 
passenger,  etc.,  so  that  the  systems  can  also  be  compared  on 
the  unit  basis,  irrespective  of  size. 


114     THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM. 


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COMPARATIVE  FINANCIAL  RESULTS. 

In  comparing  these  ten  cities,  the  income  of  each  city  is  taken  at  100% 
and  the  relative  distribution  (in  per  cent  of  this  income)  for  operatmg  ex- 
penses, depreciation,  taxes,  fixed  charges  and  surplus  is  indicated  along  the 
irregular  lines.  When  there  is  a  deficit,  it  is  shown  above  the  100%  line, 
being  excess  expenditure  over  income.        .   ,    .  ,  ,  ,       . 

The  cities  are  arranged  in  the  order  of  their  approach  to  a  moderate  re- 
turn to  the  operating  companies.  This  return  is  indicated  by  the  upper  shaded 
portion  showing  demands  upon  income  for  fixed  charges,  dividends  and  sur- 
plus.    Thus  Chicago  ranks  first-24%,,  Pittsburgh  sixth— 32.6%.   ^      ,     ,  . 

The  lower  shaded  portion  represents  what  part  of  income  is  absorbed  in 

operating  expenses. 


COMPARATIVE  TRACTION  RESULTS 


115 


Description  of  Opposite  Diagram. 

To  facilitate  comparison  of  the  records  from  these  various 
cities,  the  most  important  data  and  ratios  are  presented  in 
graphical  as  well  as  tabular  form.  Of  these  tables  the  first  five 
relate  to  the  financial  result  shown  graphically  upon  the  op- 
posite diagram  in  the  form  of  percent  of  income,  viz : 

1 — Company  Return,  comprising  fixed  charges,  dividends 
and  surplus  (or  deficit). 

2— Service  Rendered,  as  indicated  by  operating  expenses. 

3 — Depreciation  charges  (paid  or  reserved). 

4— Taxes  paid  out. 

Of  these  quantities,  the  first  two  are  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance; the  first  represents  the  total  amount  retained  out  of 
income  for  interest  and  for  return  to  the  operating  company  or 
its  subsidiaries;  the  second,  what  part  of  income  is  put  back  into 
the  service.  The  comparison  shows  (a)  that,  in  service  rend- 
ered, three  other  cities,  Chicago,  Boston  and  Detroit  get  back 
a  larger  percentage  of  the  fare  than  Pittsburgh,  (b)  that 
Pittsburgh  does  not  appropriate  out  of  earnings,  as  much  for 
renewals  due  to  depreciation  (*)  as  some  of  the  other  cities. 
(c)  that  the  taxes  paid  by  the  railway  system  in  the  Pittsburgh 
District  are  at  present  comparatively  small,  (d)  that  only  two 
cities  incurred  a ''Deficit'' last  year,  Pittsburgh  and  Philadel- 
phia, several,  on  the  other  hand,  clearing  a  substantial  surplus. 
It  is  instructive  to  note,  that  in  Chicago  and  Boston,  the 
return  to  the  companies  in  the  form  of  ''fixed  charges,  divi- 
dends and  surplus''  is  relatively  smaller  than  in  any  other 
cities.  In  Chicago,  both  investment  and  return  are  determined 
in  the  new  traction  ordinances,  while  in  Boston  the  capitalization 
is  regulated  by  the  State  Railroad  Commission.  The  results  are 
that  the  riders  in  Chicago  obtain  their  transportation  by  return- 
ing to  the  Company  about  24%  of  the  fares  paid,  while  in 
Boston  they  return  about  26%.  In  Pittsburgh,  however,  the 
"fixed  charges"  amounted  to  45.8%,  but  on  account  of  a  13.2% 
"deficit"  the  actual  return  to  the  company  was  32.6%.  If  this 
deficit  is  to  .be  collected  out  of  future  earnings,  then  Pitts- 
burgh's patrons  will  pay  a  higher  relative  return  to  the 
Company  for  their  transportion  than  in  any  of  the  other  Ameri- 
can cities  shown  with  the  exception  of  Washington. 

*  It  should  be  explained  in  connection  with  Chicaeo  results  that  the  low  depreciation 
charge  is  due  to  the  rehabilitation  work  in  progress.  Later,  an  annual  charge  of  not  less 
than  8  per  cent,  of  the  gross  receipts  for  renewals  is  provided  for  by  ordinance  in^  addition 
to  not  less  than  6  per  cent,  of  gross  receipts  for  ordinary  maintenance.  Baltimore's  contin- 
gent reserve  is  regarded  as  depreciation,  and  Chicago  City's  share  in  profits  as  additional 
taxes.     Brooklyn  and  Philadelphia  do  not  disclose  their  methods  of  treating  depreciation. 


116      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


COMPARATIVE  TRACTION  RESULTS 


117 


ff 


- 


COMPARATIVE  FINANCIAL  RESULTS. 


FIXED  CHARGES    DIVIDENDS  AND  SURPLUS. 

Percent  op  Total  Income  from  all  Sources 


RATIO  OF  OPERATING  EXPENSES  TO  GROSS  EARNINGS. 


City  or 

Rank 

Report 

Fixed  Charges      Surplus 

Total 

District 

1 

Fiscal  Year 
Ending 

AND 

Dividends 

OF 

Deficit 

made  by 

Col.  6 
2 

Company 

1 

3 

4 

5 

6 

Chicago   * 

1 

Jan.   31, 

1910 

19.42 

3°    10.04 
U     4.45 

°  29.46 
J  23.92 

Brooklyn 

8 

June  30 

1910 

35.15 

2.52 

37.67 

Philadelphia.  .  .  . 

9 

June  30, 

1910 

45.26 

—7.18 

38.08 

1 

i                                   Boston 

2 

7 

Sept.  30, 
Dec.  31, 

1909 
1909 

25.56 
32.82 

0.26 
3.92 

25.82 

St.  Louis 

36.74 

Baltimore 

4 

Dec.  31 

1909 

28.78 

1.43 

30.21 

PITTSBURGH  . . 

6 

Mar.  31, 

1910 

45.84 

—13.21 

32.63 

1   i 

Cleveland 

, 

Dec.   31 

1909 

J 

Buffalo 

5 

Dec.   31 

1908 

29.13 

3.30 

32.43 

'1 

San  Francisco..  . 
i                                   Cincinnati 

10 

Dec.  31 
Apr.   30 

1909 
1909 

X39.10 

5.30 

44.40 

I  ^                                     Detroit 

3 

Dec.   31 

1909 

17.50 

9.52 

27.02 

j^  i    .                                Milwaukee 

•    • 

Dec.  31 

,  1909 

•    •    •    •    • 

jk  i    '                                 New  Orleans .... 

Dec.   31 

,  1909 

4 

Washington .... 

11 

Dec.   31 

,  1909 

t42.45 

t  5.96 

t48.4i 

Note. —  Data  for  other  than  above  fiscal  years  noted  in  all  cases. 
♦Four  surface  roads  under  Board  of  Supervising  Engineers. 
•Including  City's  share.     JNet  to  Company. 
tCapital  Traction  Co. 
xincluding  Taxes. 

In  this  and  the  following  table,  returns  for  the  last  fiscal 
year  available  are  listed  for  the  first  fifteen  cities  of  the  United 
States.  These  cities  are  listed  (Col.  1)  in  the  same  order  but 
are  ranked  (Col.  2)  in  each  table  according  to  the  most  impor- 
tant factor,  as  noted  below.  This  first  table  alone  cites  the 
fiscal  year  upon  which  the  returns,  for  the  most  part,  are  based, 
exceptions  being  noted. 

From  the  viewpoint  of  the  riding  public,  this  table  possess- 
es an  unusual  interest,  as  it  shows  what  portion  of  the  fare  is 
retained  by  the  operating  company  as  returns  from  its  invest- 
ment. Whether  or  not  the  return  is  entirely  adequate  in  each 
case  involves  a  number  of  factors  not  shown  here. 

The  proportion  of  income  actually  earned  by  the  companies 
is  shown  in  the  last  column,  comprising  fixed  charges  as  well  as 
dividends,  also  surplus.  No  distinction  has  been  made  between 
fixed  charges  and  dividends,  as  they  all  represent  company 
return  in  some  form.  Where  a  deficit  occurs,  the  total  return 
is  shown  in  Column  4.  This  however  is  a  theoretical  return,  and 
only  becomes  actual  if  taken  out  of  future  earnings. 


Percent  of  Gross  Earnings  from  Operation 


Rank 

Chicago 2 

Brooklyn 8 

Philadelphia 10 

Boston 1 

St.  Louis 11 

Baltimore 13 

PITTSBURGH 5 

Cleveland 4 

Buffalo.... 9 

San  Francisco 7 

Cincinnati 

Detroit 3 

Milwaukee 12 

New  Orleans 6 

Washington 14 


Note — *For  1908. 

fCapital  Traction  Co. 


Transportation 

AND 

Power 


41.59 
31.35 
32.91 
42.43 

28^43 
36.19 
33.46 


*36.44 


Total  Operat- 
ing Expenses 
LESS  Taxes 

63.20 

56.08 

54.38 

66.76 

51.05 

46.62 

59.92 

60.15 

54.49 

56.93 


Operating 
Expenses 
AND  Taxes 

68.25 

64.15 

63.00 

74.22 

58.08 

55.64 

64.16 

64.75 

60.20 


fSO.OO 
Average 


62.70 

48.95 

58.59 

t45.10 

57.5 


65.89 
55.95 

150.03 
64.07 


This  important  ratio  indicates  what  part  of  the  income  is 
put  back  into  the  service.  The  service  supplied  primarily  de- 
pends on  how  much  money  is  expended  out  of  earnings  for  opera- 
tion, the  rule  being  that  in  any  given  case,  the  higher  the  percent- 
age, the  better  the  quality  of  the  service.  According  to  this 
table,  the  Pittsburgh  system  spent  less  for  service  last  year 
(not  including  taxes)  in  proportion  to  earnings  than  Boston, 
Chicago,  Detroit  or  Cleveland  but  more  than  the  remaining 
cities. 

The  operating  cost  is  subdivided  into  three  classes,  first — 
operating  expense  for  transportation  and  power,  covering  wages 
of  trainmen,  carhouse  expense  and  power  supply,  second — 
total  operating  expense,  including  maintenance,  damages  and 
all  general  expenses  not  including  taxes,  and  third — total  oper- 
ating expenses  plus  taxes. 

The  percentages  are  shown  in  these  three  ways,  and  the  varia- 
tion between  the  cities  is  wide.  Thus,  for  transportation  and 
power  the  percentage  varies  from  28.4  to  42.4%,  for  total  operat- 
ing expenses  not  including  taxes,  it  varies  from  46.6%  to  66.8%, 
averaging  57.5%,  with  Pittsburgh  59.9%;  for  operation,  incliding 
taxes,  the  percentage  ranges  from  55.6  to  74.2%  with  Pittsburgh 
about  the  same  as  the  average — 64.1%. 


118      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


DEPRECIATION. 


Annual  Payment 
OR  Reserve  for 


Rank 


Chicago 3 

Brooklyn 11 

Philadelphia 

Boston 10 

St.  Louis 


Fund 
$  468,392 
J  148,806 


{ 


Baltimore, 


7 
5 
9 
4 


200,000 

609,760 

f     556,720 

\  t  456,693 

366,198 


Percent 

OF  Gross 

Earnings 

2.07 

*8.00 

0.75 

i!407 

5.51 

7.72 

6.33 

3.68 


6 

1 

2 

8 


403,280 


400,000 
°  519,516 

703.000 

11232,178 


7.76 


6.30 
12.23 

10.15 
3.80 


PITTSBURGH    

Cleveland 

Buffalo 

San  Francisco 

Cincinnati 

Detroit 

Milwaukee 

New  Orleans 

Minneapolis — St.  Paul 

Washington.. 

Note — *Including  rehabilitation  work  now  under  way. 

tSpecial  reserve  subject  to  distribution  by  Directors. 

tl909. 

"Includes  reserve  for  light  and  heat  department. 

•[Includes  lighting  department  in  Washington  Railway  &  Electric  Co. 

In  several  cases,  depreciation  is  handled  as  a  fixed  annual 
reserve,  subject  to  adjustment  from  time  to  time.  The  entire 
amount  appropriated  annually  has  been  set  down  regardless  of 
actual  expenditures  for  the  year  considered,  the  surplus  being 
credited  to  the  fund  at  the  end  of  the  year.  Detroit,  Milwaukee, 
St.  Louis  and  St.  Paul  maintain  such  funds.  St.  Louis  appropri- 
ated 5%  per  annum  for  the  last  four  years,  increasing  to  6% 
for  the  last  six  months  of  1909;  Milwaukee  reserves  10%,  and 
Minneapolis  and  St.  Paul  have  increased  appropriations  up  to  9% 
in  the  past  year. 

As  Chicago  is  undergoing  rehabilitation,  the  so  called  depre- 
ciation is  not  entirely  comparable  with  those  of  other  cities. 
This  rehabilitation  work  is  mandatory  and  the  annual  expenditure 
fixed  by  ordinance  so  as  to  bring  the  total  of  operating  expenses, 
taxes  and  renewals  up  to  70%  of  the  gross  receipts.  Until  this 
rehabilitation  is  completed,  the  actual  assignment  to  deprecia- 
tion account  will  not  be  comparable.  After  rehabilitation  the 
renewals  account  will  be  charged  with  at  least  8%  of  the  earnings. 

Pittsburgh's  depreciation  account  is  carried  in  the  form  of 
"extraordinary  maintenance,"  a  special  account  started  in  1907. 
It  includes  the  retirement  each  year  of  a  portion  of  an  issue  of 
Car  Trust  Notes.  The  account  stands  as  follows:— 1907-3.33%, 
1908-3.28%,  1909-1.31%,  1910-3.69%  of  the  gross  earnings. 


COMPARATIVE  TRACTION  RESULTS 


TAXES. 


119 


Rank. 

Chicago 1 

Brooklyn ^ 

Philadelphia ^ 

Boston. 6 

St.  Louis 7 

Baltimore 2 

PITTSBURGH I3 

Cleveland 12 

Buffalo 9 

San  Francisco 1" 

Cincinnati 

Detroit 14 

Milwaukee 8 

New  Orleans ^ 

Washington 1 1 


Taxes  Paid 

$  1,144,777 

*1,276,252 

1,687,130 

1,569,858 

1,063,775 

773,980 

650,547 

418,127 

291,874 

297,106 

§  347,920 


202,510 
t363,662 
t481,750 
°300.365 


Percent 
OF  Gross 
Earnings 

5.05 
5.59 
8.07 
8.62 
7.48 
7.00 
9.02 
4.21 
4.62 
5.71 
5.07 

3^19 
6.19 
7.98 
4.91 


Average         7 .  58 


§1908. 


Note. — ♦City's  share  in  net  income. 

■(•Includes  Lighting  Departments. 

Ilncludes  Lighting  and  Gas  Department.  . 

"Includes  Lighting  Department  of  Washington  Railway  &  Electnc  Company. 

Of  the  cities  reported,  railway  taxes  ranged  from  3.2  to  10.6% 
averaging  7.58%  of  the  gross  earnings,  excluding  Chicago.  There 
an  unusual  condition  exists  in  that  the  railway  company  pays 
to  the  city  55%  of  its  net  income.  This  may  be  regarded 
somewhat  in  the  light  of  a  special  tax,  raising  the  total  tax  in 
which  the  city  participates  to  10.64 7o  of  the  gross  railway  earn- 
ings,  the  highest  listed. 

Philadelphia  has  a  special  annual  charge  in  the  form  of  a 
fixed  payment  or  license  which  is  imposed  by  the  city  in  lieu  of 
company  liabilities  for  street  maintenance,  along  its  tracks, 
waived  by  the  city,  partly  in  return  for  the  company's  forfeiture 
of  its  perpetual  franchises,  city  representation,  etc.  This  brings 
the  total  tax  in  Philadelphia  up  to  8.62%  in  1910. 

Baltimore's  tax  is  slightly  over  9  %— largely  in  the  form  of 
a  local  "Park  Tax"  of  9%  imposed  by  the  city  on  all  public  utili- 
ties. The  tax  in  Baltimore  has  increased  by  more  than  2%  in 
the  last  two  years. 

Brooklyn  has  increased  from  4.5%  to  8.07%  within  the  last 
three  years  including  an  appreciable  reserve  in  1910  for  special 
franchise  taxes  in  litigation. 

Excepting  Detroit,  the  Pittsburgh  system  pays  the  lowest 
taxes  of  the  cities  listed— 4.21%  and  considerably  below  the  aver- 
age. This  total  comprises  state,  borough  and  municipal  taxes 
on  value  of  stock  and  bonds,  gross  earnings,  cars,  poles  and  wires. 
Some  of  these  taxes  are  now  in  litigation. 


!  A 


I''  ' 


120       THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


RECORD  OF  ANNUAL  EARNINGS  FROM  OPERATION. 


$22,134,589 

"20,477,145 

17,991,100 

14,024,768 

10,918,193 


6,144,166 
5,056,741 


Chicago* 1 

Brooklynt 2 

Philadelphiaf 3 

Bostonf 4 

St.  Louis 5 

Baltimore 8 

PITTSBURGH ...      6 

Cleveland 10 

Buffalo 11 

San   Francisco ...      7 

Cincinnati 12 

Detroit 9 

Milwaukee 13 

New  Orleans 14      

Washington. 

Note — *Surface  Railways  only. 

t  Include  Elevated  Roads  and 

"Surface  Lines — 60%  of  total 

xl907. 

§Calendar  year  1909. 


Gross  Earnings        Total         Percent 
Passenger  from  Income  from  Passenger 

Rank    Earnings  Operation       all  Sources   op  Gross 

$22,641,879  $22,832,883  97.80 
20,906,930  21,515,541  97.85 
18,189,939  18,501,356  98.95 
14,212,557     14,493,853     98.75 

98.76 


11,056,088 
7,209,984 
9,222,016 
6,311,022 
5,195,583 
7,455,965 


6,106,599 


6,349,724 
4,220,609 


11,111,431 
7,212.474 

10,000,970 
6,349,388 
5,226,983 
7,630,091 
4,731,731 
6,417,731 


§98.4 
97.35 
97.30 

X99.15 


Percent 

Gross  of 

Total 

99.15 
97.15 
98.30 
97.06 
99.50 
99.96 
92.22 
99.40 
99.40 
97.70 


96.2       99.0 


4,101,546 


Subways. 
Passenger  Earnings. 


In  this  Table  is  given  the  actual  amount  of  earnings  for  the 
last  fiscal  year  as  reported  by  the  various  railway  companies. 
These  earnings  are  divided  into  annual  passenger  earnings,  total 
gross  earnings  from  operation,  and  total  income  from  all  sources. 
Ratios  between  these  three  quantities  are  also  given.  The  differ- 
ence between  the  passenger  earnings  and  the  total  gross  earnings 
is  generally  made  up  of  the  earnings  from  mail,  express,  milk 
and  freight  cars,  from  rental  of  operating  equipment,  from  sale 
of  power  and  from  advertising.  These  items,  however,  form  but 
a  small  proportion  of  the  total.  The  passenger  receipts  consti- 
tute practically  the  entire  earnings  from  operation — from  97  to 
99%  for  the  cities  listed. 

This  table  also  shows  total  income  from  all  sources.  The 
excess  over  gross  earnings  is  known  as  "income  from  other 
sources"  which  includes  income  from  real  estate,  buildings  and 
equipment  not  used  in  the  operation  of  the  road,  interest  and 
dividends  on  the  investments,  etc. 

Gross  earnings  constitutes  from  97  to  99%  of  the  total 
income.  Excluding,  as  it  does,  the  results  of  so  called  auxiliary 
enterprises,  this  quantity — gross  earnings — forms  the  best  com- 
parative measure  of  the  actual  results  from  operating  a  railway 
property. 

The  cities  are  here  listed  in  the  order  of  their  gross  earnings, 
New  York  excluded  on  account  of  the  unusual  conditions  existing 
in  that  city.  Without  Brooklyn,  the  total  earnings  in  New  York 
City  alone  are  nearly  $50,000,000  per  year. 


COMPARATIVE  TRACTION  RESULTS 


TRACK  MILEAGE. 


121 


Chicago 

Brooklyn 

Philadelphia.  .  . 

Boston 

St    Tenuis 

Rank 
1 
3 
2 
6 
5 
7 

4 

.      12 

9 

.      11 
.      13 
8 
.      10 
.      15 
.      14 
10. 

id  subway. 
&  Elec.  Co 

Operated, 

THROUGH 

Single  Track 

Total 
ALL  Tracks 

666 . 20 

606.59 

627.65 

484.12 

Perci 
QPERy^ 
OP  Tc 

t91. 

^88. 

§°93. 

°89. 

*94. 

*95. 

96 

:nt. 

lTED 
»TAL 

80 

538. 

29 

80 
46 

431 
453. 
400. 
561 

.44 

01 
76 
65 

11 
70 

Baltimore 

95 

PITTSBURGH  . 

Cleveland. 

581 

258 

x374 

00 
.00 
.23 

.60 

Buffalo 

*92 
*94 

*91 

*96 

94 

*96 

60 

San  Francisco 

258 
219 

41 

.88 

60 

Cincinnati 

Detroit 

402 

.88 

30 

Milwaukee 

355 
186 

.82 
.25 

55 

New  Orleans . . . 

197 
207 

.72 
.68 

19 

Washington  J 

Note— *1907.     §1909.    xl9] 
tSurface  only. 
•Includes  elevated  ar 
J  Includes  Wash.  Ry. 

00 

In  this  table  is  given  the  latest  available  statement  of  oper- 
ated and  total  trackage  of  the  principal  street  railway  compan- 
ies. New  York  City  proper  is  purposely  omitted  as  the  operat- 
ing conditions  are  hardly  comparable.  The  cities  are  listed  with 
respect  to  total  trackage,  and  Pittsburgh  appears  to  be  one  of  the 
largest  systems,  ranking  fourth  with  a  total  mileage  of  581. 
Even  deducting  60  miles  of  Interurban  track  extending  south 
from  Castle  Shannon  to  Charleroi  and  Washington,  it  still  retains 
this  position.  Brooklyn,  having  71  miles  of  elevated  line,  ranks 
but  slightly  higher  with  607  miles.  Counting  only  surface  mile- 
age of  the  cities  listed,  Pittsburgh  ranks  second  or  third — a  fact 
that  should  be  borne  in  mind  for  later  discussion. 

In  all  cities  a  not  inconsiderable  part  of  the  total  represents 
trackage  in  car  bams,  storage  sidings,  etc.,  exceeding  in  some 
cases  where  the  car  equipment  is  extensive,  10  per  cent  of  the 
total.  Apparently  Pittsburgh  has  less  auxiliary  track  than  any 
of  the  cities.  This  is  partly  due  to  the  interurban  mileage  oper- 
ated, along  which  less  storage  facilities  are  required  than  in  the 
denser  urban  districts.  About  one-half  the  total  of  the  Pitts- 
burgh system  trackage  lies  outside  the  city  limits.  Approxi- 
mately the  same  proportion  exists  in  Detroit  and  Milwaukee. 
Detroit,  however,  ranking  only  eighth  in  mileage,  has  two-thirds 
more  auxiliary  track  than  Pittsburgh,  more  than  St.  Louis  and 
nearly  as  much  as  Philadelphia. 


122 


THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


I'  1' 


tit 


isft 


RECORD  OF  CAR  MILES  OPERATED. 


Rank 

Chicago 2 

Brooklyn „ 

Philadelphia ^ 

Boston c 

St.  Louis 'i 

Baltimore.... L 

PITTSBURGH 


Cleveland ^^ 


14 


Revenue  or 
Passenger  Car 
Miles 

85,788,797 
77,984,651 

5d.895'256 
38,711,623 
27,124,556 
35,690,301 

24,614,268 
19,555,087 
12,670,482* 
20,717,888* 

16!oi9.114* 
18,718,605 


Total 
Car  Mileage 


70,943,404 
51,127.681 


36,157,086 

19,'807,()09 

12,733,829* 

20,761,897* 

26,305,513 


Percent 

Revenue  of 

Total 

98. 

80* 

99. 

55*» 

99. 

60 

99 

15* 

98 

.75 

98 

.75 

99 

.55* 

99 

.80* 

98 

.40x 

98 

.30* 

•   •    • 

Buffalo 

San  Francisco :f' 

Cincinnati ^^ 

Detroit .  „ 

Milwaukee f^ 

New  Orleans 

Washington 

Note--*For  1907. 
xl908. 
»1909. 

Thistable  showsthe  service  rendered  incar miles  per  year  for 

the  same  period  as  covered    by    the    eammgs    table.      This 
record  S  also  subdivided  under  two  headings,  revenue  car  miles 

.tC  is  made  up  of  milk,  freight,    express,    mai     and 
ZL^n^Z^^tcl.    Pittsburgh  appears  as  sixth  m  car 

mileage.  .,  .,    ^^ 

Practice  varies  considerably  in  recording  trailer  car  mileage 
Thnfin  Pittsburgh  trailers  are  counted  as  full  sized  cars    while 

i^n'aevellnd^^^^^^^^^^^       ^^^  t-"-  ^^iTe  ^^^t   n^le 
fiftc"    before  being  recorded  as  car  mileage.    Thus   car   miie 

some  percentage  factor.     ^'^^^^^^^^^' ^.     .     .  ^_ 
the  following  tables  will  be  correspondmgly  lower. 


!5l 


H 
■  1 
1 1 


COMPARISON  OF  SIZE  AND  CONFIGURATION  OF  LARGEST  AMERICAN  CITIES— ON  SAME  SCALE. 


Each  American  City  has  a  business  ^'center"  which  has  developed  about  the  ^^origin"  of  the  city.  As  the  first  contact  with  the  outside  world  was  by  means  of  water 
transportation  each  city  developed  first  along  the  water  front,  and  afterwards  as  means  of  land  transportation  were  developed,  the  city  spread  out  its  Particular  shape 
bergt^e  result  o^^  of  the  district.      In  cities  where  the  electric  suburbans  are  operated  directly  by  the  city  traction  system  as    m    Pittsburgh,    Milwaukee 

and  Detroit,  these  lines  have  been  added  to  the  maps.      Independent  lines  are  not  shown.  i.       rr  .u      ^      ..•  •  ^^  *  ;o 

The  transportation  problem  is  largely  one  of  transporting  the  workers  from  and  to  their  homes  during  the  morning  and  evening  rush.  If  the  t"--*-"  fJ'P"'"'*  - 
sufficient  for  adequate  service  during  these  peaks,  it  will  be  ample  for  all  other  times.  The  problem  becomes  more  and  more  difficult  as  the  radms  of  service  from  the 
business  center  increases.     Pittsburgh  is  unique  in  that  its  "bustness  center"  is  not  at  one  side  of  the  city. 


I  w 


10  000  000 


20  000  000 


30  000  000 


40  000  000 


50  000  000 


60  000  000 


70  000  000 


00  000  000 


90  000  000 


COMPARISON  OF  LARGE  URBAN  RAILWAY  SYSTEMS  ON  CAR  MILE  BASIS 
On  this  plate  is   recorded   the  service   rendered  from  year  to  year  in  car  miles  with  the  corresponding  earnings  and  operating  expenses.       The  radial 

lines  indicate  ree?.y  the  -^r.^'ee^rr^^^^^^^^^^  -.rir—  ^t:^'Z:l.!!'^r  Z 

year  the  earnings  per  car  mile  will  be  25  cents  as  mdicatea  oy  tne  aoiieu  raui      y         ^u^^^f^^^  .u^„^  radials  make  it  Dossible  to  compare  lar^e  or  small  systems  on 

basis  of  car  miles. 


i   I 


'* 


COMPARATIVE  TRACTION  RESULTS  123 

GRAPHICAL  ANALYSIS  OF  OPERATING  RESULTS 

ON    CAR    MILE    BASIS 

The  accompanying  plate  is  most  important  in  showing  the 
results  in  Pittsburgh  for  the  past  eight  years  compared  with 
those  from  other  American  cities  for  a  period  of  years.  This 
diagram  differs  from  the  preceding  ones.  Revenue  car  miles  are 
plotted  along  the  horizontal  axis,  gross  earnings  along  the  ver- 
tical axis,  thus  showing  the  relation  between  two  quantities  instead 
of  the  yearly  variation  in  one. 

The  diagram  shows  at  once  the  relative  earnings  per  car 
mile  form  year  to  year  of  the  various  systems.  On  account 
of  the  slight  difference  in  fares,  the  difference  in  the  average 
length  of  rides  in  the  various  cities,  the  variation  in  the  size 
of  the  cars  and  the  character  of  the  riding  in  different  locaUties, 
earnings  per  car  mile  is  not  an  exact  measure,  but  taken  in  con- 
nection with  the  other  elements  of  the  analysis  it  is  the  most 
consistent  one  for  comparing  each  system  with  itself  from  time 
to  time  and  for  making  a  relative  study  of  the  different  systems. 

It  will  be  noted,  for  instance,  that  in  Brooklyn  the  earnings 
per  car  mile  increased  from  24  cents  in  1902  to  29  cents  in  1906 
and  then  decreased  to  26.85  cents  in  1910.     In  Philadelphia  the 
earnings  per  car  mile  first  decreased  from  23.4  cents  in  1906  to 
22.48  cents  in  1907  and  then  increased  to  25.6  cents  in  1910. 
In  Boston,  the  tendency  has  been  to  increase  the  earnings  per 
car  mile  slightly  each  year  until  1909,  when  for  some  reason  the 
number  of  car  miles  operated  were  reduced,  although  the  earn- 
ings increased,  the  result  being  that  the  earnings  per  car  mile 
showed  a  decided  increase  during  this  last  year.     St.  Louis  has 
consistently  shown  earnings  near  the  28  cent  line  until  1909  when 
the  record  shows  28.57  cents.    Pittsburgh's  record  has  been  more 
erratic  than  the  other  cities.     During  the  panics  of  1904  and  1908 
there  was  a  much  greater  reduction  in  car  miles  in  Pittsburgh 
than  in  any  other  city.     On  the  other  hand  Pittsburgh  shows  a 
larger  increase  in  car  miles  in  proportion  to  the  increase  in  earn- 
ings during  the  last  year  than  any  other  city.    The  diagram 
indicates  graphically  the  information  shown  in  detail  in  the  fol- 
lowing tables: 


i 


124      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


GROSS  EARNINGS  FROM  OPERATION  PER  REVENUE  CAR  MILE-CENTS 

Average 

Since 

1905 


1903   1904   1905   1906   1907 


.03  28.39 
.41  22.48 
.19*20.45 
.52  27.88 
.30  26.04 
.31  28.70 


1908 
25.17 
26.97 
22.76 
26.75 
27.88 
25.54 
28.61 


1909        1910 

26.40 

26.53  26.85 
25.23  25.62 
27.93    

28.57    

26.58    

28.78  27.79 
25.62   


27.55 
23.90 
26.83 
28.21 
25.86 
28.24 


.15  26.85 
. . .  37.45 
.  ..  21.5U 
.13  23.08 
.95  26.00 


26.56 26.85 


23.52 
26.73 


24.12t 

27.05    


23.47 
26.43 


ChicaiTo 

Brooklyn 25.38  27.00  28.36  29 

Philadelphia 23 

Boston 25 .  09*26 

St.  Louis 27.70  28 

Baltimore 23.68  25 

PITTS'BG 24.88  25.09  26.42  27 

Cleveland 

ButTalo 27 

San  Francisco 

Cincinnati, 

Detroit 23 

Mihvaukee 25 

New  Orleans 

Washington 

Note. — ♦From  Passenger  income. 

tOn  total  car  miles. 

JOn  total  income. 


In  Pittsburgh,  earnings  per  car  mile  increased  by  irregular 
steps  year  by  year  from  24.9c  in  1903  to  28.8c  in  1909,  but  for 
the  fiscal  year  ending  March  31,  1910,  the  earnings  reduced  to 
27.8c.  A  continuation  in  this  rate  of  reduction  for  another  year 
would  bring  the  earnings  per  car  mile  for  the  present  year's  busi- 
ness down  to  a  figure  which  would  compare  favorably  with  many 
of  the  other  cities  in  the  country.  Thus  by  projecting  the 
1909-10  line,  at  40,000,000  car  miles  per  year,  the  earnings  would 
reduce  to  about  26.6c  per  car  mile,  about  on  a  par  with  Chicago, 
Boston,  Baltimore  and  Buffalo.  But  Pittsburgh  has  averaged 
for  several  years  past  higher  in  earnings  per  car  mile  than  any  of 
the  cities  except  St.  Louis. 

In  making  comparisons  with  other  cities,  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  the  results  reported  from  Boston,  Brooklyn  and  Phila- 
delphia include  the  earnings  from  operation  of  the  elevated  roads, 
which  in  those  cities  form  a  part  of  the  complete  system  with 
transfer  privileges,  in  many  cases  between  the  surface  lines  and 
the  elevated  trains. 

This  diagram  is  equally  useful  in  studying  the  operating 
expenses  which  are  plotted  in  the  next  lower  group  of  curves 
shown  by  the  broken  lines.  Similarly,  the  cost  of  transporta- 
tion and  motive  power  is  shown  by  the  lowest  group  of  solid 
lines.  In  general  these  three  groupes  of  curves  show  the  same 
characteristics  i.  e.  rise  and  fall  together.  For  reference,  the 
operating  ratio,  both  with  and  without  taxes,  is  plotted  along 
the  upper  margin  of  the  diagram,  the  broken  line  indicating 
the  usual  ratio — not  including  taxes. 


COMPARATIVE  TRACTION  RESULTS 


125 


OPERATING  EXPENSES  PER  REVENUE  CAR  MILE-CENTS 


Rank 
2 
6 
9 
1 
7 
12 
3 
4 
8 


Transportation 

AND 

Operating 

Power 

Expenses 

10.97 

16.68 

8.41 

15.05 

8.44 

13.94 

11.84 

18.64 

8.46 

14.58 

7.55 

12.39 

10.06 

16.66 

8.58 

15.42 

5 

10 
11 


8.58* 


14.47 


15 .  14° 

12.89 

12.83 


Expenses 

AND 

Taxes 
18.02 
16.91 
16.16 
20.73 
16.57 
14.79 
17.83 
16.60 
15.99 


14.74 


Chicago 

Brooklyn 

Philadelphia 

Boston 

St.  Louis 

Baltimore 

PITTSBURGH 

Cleveland 

Buffalo 

San  Francisco 

Cincinnati 

Detroit 

Milwaukee 

New  Orleans 

Washington 

Note~*For  1908. 

®0n  basis  of  total  car  miles. 

The  curves  of  operating  expenses  and  transportation  cost 
both  varied  within  much  smaller  limits  than  the  Earmngs 
notably  for  Boston  and  Brooklyn.  Thus  the  operating  expense 
in  Brooklyn  ranged  from  15c.  to  17c.  per  car  mile  while  the 
earnings  varied  from  24c.  to  29c.  per  car  mile.  But  during 
this  period  the  operating  ratio  fell  from  65%  to  56%.  Ihis 
plot  shows  that  the  betterment  in  service  in  Brooklyn  during  the 
last  three  years  as  indicated  by  the  droop  in  the  earnings  per  car 
mile  curve,  was  largely  assisted  by  a  reduction  in  operating 
expense.  Although  many  of  the  cities  show  some  retrenchment 
in  service  during  the  depression  of  1907-8,  Pittsburgh  cut  its 
service  to  a  very  marked  degree. 

For  further  comparative  purposes,  track  mileage  has  also 
been  plotted  on  this  plate.  To  illustrate:  the  Brooklyn  system 
increased  its  car  mileage  steadily  with  its  trackmileage.  In  I'ltts- 
burgh,  however,  the  trackage  extended  rapidly  year  by  year 
with  only  a  very  small  increase  in  the  car  mileage,  and  in  two 
years  a  large  decrease  in  service  is  recorded.  Pittsburgh  mileage 
is  practically  equal  to  that  of  Philadelphia,  and  Brooklyn,  both 
of  which  operate  more  than  twice  as  many  car  miles  per  year. 


t26      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


PASSENGERS  CARRIED  PER  YEAR. 


Revenue 
Rank    Passengers 

Chicago 1  445,562.120 

Brooklyn 2  415,277,754 

Philadelphia.  .  .  3  1 367,478,473 

Boston 4  281,008,471 

St.  Louis 5  221,443,845 

Baltimore 7  145,601,990 

PITTSBURGH  .  6  197,288,812 

Cleveland 8  144,346,400 

Buffalo 11  93,922,696 

San  Francisco..  10  *94,595,079 

Cincinnati 13  °88,334,477 

Detroit 9  130,617,342 

Milwaukee 12  90,235,653 

New  Orleans. . .  14  78,643,680 

Washington 


Transfers 
Used 

318,245,723 

153,729,485 

65,405,780 

104,601,77*1 
57,030,556 
26,828,995 

J49,512,931 
45,789,049 

*56,364,289 

°30,778,948 
46,275,470 
29,328,724 
17,816,746 


Per  cent  Per  cent 
Total  Rev  of  Transf  to 
Rides    Total  Revenue 


763,807,843 
569,007,239 
432,884,253 

326,045,616 

202,632,546 

224,117,807 

193,859,331 

139,711,745 

♦152,431,145 

°119, 113,425 

176,892,812 

119,564,377 

96,460,426 


58.35 
73.0 
84.89 
*60.06 
67.95 
71.90 
88.00 
74.50 
67.25 
*62.10 
°74.10 
73.90 
75.50 
81.55 
73.50 


71.60 
37.0 
17.79 
♦65.00 
47.20 
39.15 
13.60 
34.30 
48.78 
♦59.56 
°34.85 
35.45 
32.50 
22.66 
36.01 


Note— *  year,  1907. 

JPay  transfers. 
"Year  1908. 
^Including  13.25%  exchange  tickets  @  4c  each. 


Average      70.3        42.2 


In  extent  of  passenger  traffic,  Pittsburgh  ranks  sixth  both 
in  regard  to  revenue  and  total  passengers.  Over  224,000,000  rides 
were  registered  during  the  past  year  as  against  764,000,000  in 
Chicago,  326,000,000  in  St.  Louis  and  203,000,000  in  Baltimore. 

Transfer  Privileges.  The  last  column  of  the  above  table 
shows  that  the  cities  differ  very  widely  in  the  use  of  transfers; 
thus  on  the  average  about  42.2%  of  the  revenue  passengers 
use  transfers,  but  in  Philadelphia  and  Pittsburgh,  only  14%  to 
18%  avail  themselves  of  this  privilege — the  least  of  all  the  cities — 
while  in  Baltimore  nearly  40%  and  in  Chicago  over  70%  use  it. 
The  comparison  between  Chicago  and  Pittsburgh  is  striking,  and 
indicates  that  the  transfer  privilege  in  Pittsburgh  is  either  not 
made  use  of,  or  else  is  so  considerably  restricted  as  to  nullify  in 
a  large  measure  its  advantages. 

In  Brooklyn,  transfer  traffic  has  increased  since  1902  at 
about  double  the  rate  of  increase  in  revenue  passengers. 

Some  of  the  cities  employ  pay  transfers,  as  in  Philadelphia 
and  Cleveland.  This  would  tend  to  lower  the  transfer  traffic  to 
some  extent,  as  in  Philadelphia,  to  14.3%.  But  on  the  other  hand, 
Cleveland  shows  34.3%  transfers  for  the  past  year.  St.  Louis, 
Buffalo  and  San  Francisco  show  a  large  volume  of  transfer  traffic. 


COMPARATIVE  TRACTION  RESULTS 


127 


AVERAGE  FARE. 

For  all        For  Revenue 
Passengers       Passengers 
Carried  Only 

CHioago  2.895  4.97 

\^^^^^ 3.600  4.93 

Brooklyn ^""^  .    .^ 

Philadelphia ^-^^S  ^4.51^ 

f  °'Louis ::::  .:::::::■.:; :        3.350       4.93 

R,Xn      °3.618  °5.380 

s^Francisco ::::;: :::: '. *3.o87      *4.975 

cfncinnati         3.662  4.94 

Detroit X3.452  x4.675 

SSkeeV;.:::::::.: ^3.528      t4.678 

New  Orleans q;^*  ±  h.V 

Washington 3. 17  t.6i 

Note— *Year  1907. 

tFor  Calendar  year,  1909. 

J  For  gross  earnings. 

llChange  o£  Fare  in  1909. 

"Interurban  through  fare  counted  as  a  unit. 

xNot  including  chartered  cars. 

Two  bases  are  in  use  for  computing  the  average  fare— 1st, 
ratio  of  passenger  earnings  to  revenue  passengers,  and  2nd,  ratio 
of  passenger  earnings  to  total  passengers,  including  transfers. 
The  first  may  be  termed  average  "revenue  fare"  and  the  second 
average  "fare  per  ride."  If  a  straight  five  cent  fare  is  in  general 
use,  the  first  ratio  will  average  well  above  4.95c,  but  if  certain 
pav  transfers  exist,  as  in  Philadelphia  and  on  the  Pittsburgh 
inclines,  the  average  revenue  fare  may  be  further  diluted,  as  for 
instance  to  4.5c  in  Philadelphia. 

The  average  revenue  fare  is  the  real  measure  of  the  earning 
power,  as  it  represents  the  actual  return  from  each  passenger 
carried  to  his  destination.  Average  fare  per  ride  is  often  cited 
as  a  measure  of  revenue,  but  manifestly  the  average  revenue  fare 
is  the  proper  measure  as  it  would  not  be  directly  affected 
by  any  number  of  transfers  from  point  of  origin  to  destina- 
tion. Should  the  practice  exist  of  giving  transfers  on  transfers, 
the  fare  per  ride  would  be  reduced  still  lower,  although  the 
revenue  fare  would  remain  substantially  the  same. 

Pittsburgh's  average  revenue  fare  is  4.91c— as  very  few 
tickets  are  sold  at  reduced  rates,  except  pay  transfers  to  inclines. 
A  certain  number  of  free  tickets  issued  principally  to  employees. 


^1 


128      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 

are  however  counted  as  revenue  passengers,  but  in  both  of  these 
cases,  the  number  is  small.  The  Cleveland  fare  is  exceptionally 
low  by  reason  of  the  recent  reorganization  involving  a  fare  less 
than  five  cents  which  took  effect  within  the  fiscal  year  reported. 
In  cities  having  book  or  strip  tickets,  at  a  reduced  rate,  it 
appears  that  the  major  part  of  the  earnings  is  taken  in  at  the 
lower  rate,  resulting  in  a  lower  average  revenue  fare.  Thus  in 
Milwaukee  and  Indianapolis,  selling  six  tickets  for  25  cents  or 
twenty-five  tickets  for  $1.00,  the  ticket  sales  run  as  high  as  80% 
of  the  total.  * 

Practice  in  the  several  cities  varies  with  regard  to  the  regis- 
tration of  fares  in  excess  of  five  cents.  In  Pittsburgh  each  addi- 
tional five  cent  suburban  fare  is  computed  as  an  extra  passenger. 
Buffalo,  on  the  other  hand,  registers  any  through  interurban  fare 
as  a  single  passenger.  This  results  in  an  average  revenue  fare 
above,  instead  of  below  five  cents.  Milwaukee  registers  a 
through  interurban  fare  from  the  city  as  a  single  passenger. 
The  average  fare  per  ride  is  also  affected  to  some  extent,  but 
the  wide  variations  in  this  ratio  shown  in  the  table,  are  due  to. 
varying  volume  of  transfer  business. 

♦U.  S.  Census  Report  1907. 


COMPARATIVE  TRACTION  RESULTS 


129 


PASSENGERS  PER  CAR  MILE. 


Rank 

Chicago 2 

Brooklyn 8 

Philadelphia 12 

Boston 3 

St.  Louis 4 

Baltimore 6 

PITTSBURGH ii 

Cleveland 5 

Buffalo 9 

San  Francisco 1 

Cincinnati 13 

Detroit 10 

Milwaukee 7 

New  Orleans 14 

Washington 

Note — *Year  1907. 

"Basis  of  total  car  miles. 


Total 
Passengers 
PER  Revenue 
Car  Mile 

8.91 

7.30 
°6.10 
*8.63 

8.43 

7.47 

6.28 

7.85 

7.14 

*12.03 

*5.77 

°6.72 

7.46 

5.16 


The  ratio — "total  passengers  per  car  mile"  is  ordinarily 
taken  as  a  measure  of  the  standard  of  service  and  in  comparing 
the  service  from  day  to  day  and  from  month  to  month  on  any 
one  system,  it  is  useful.  But  as  this  unit  is  affected  by  the  size 
of  the  cars,  by  the  varying  riding  habit  of  the  passengers  and  by 
the  transfer  arrangements,  it  should  not  be  taken  too  seriously 
in  comparing  one  system  with  another.  For  instance,  if  there 
is  a  large  interchange  of  passengers  between  the  various  lines  of 
the  system  on  account  of  a  liberal  transfer  arrangement,  as  in 
Chicago,  then  the  total  number  of  passengers  reported  will  be 
larger  in  proportion,  as  the  transfer  passengers  are  counted 
more  than  once. 

The  unit  or  ratio  of  "Revenue  passengers  per  revenue  car 
mile"  is  sometimes  used  for  comparative  purposes;  but,  as  the 
income  per  car  mile  expresses  practically  the  same  information 
with  the  additional  advantage  of  taking  into  account  at  the  same 
time  the  average  fare,  this  latter  unit  has  not  been  shown  in 
the  comparative  study. 


130      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


COMPARATIVE  TRACTION  RESULTS 


131 


Uw 


EARNINGS  PER  MILE  OF  TRACK. 

Gross 
Total  Operated  Single  Track  Rank      Earnings 

Chicago 2  $34,000 

Brooklyn 1  34,500 

Philadelphia 3  29,000 

Boston 4  29,370 

St.  Louis 8  *24,400 

Baltimore 11  *17,990 

PITTSBURGH    I2  17,090 

Cleveland 7  24,450 

Buffalo 14  13,880 

San  Francisco 5  *28,850 

Cincinnati 9  t21,530 

Detroit 13  15,770 

Milwaukee 15  *11,870 

New  Orleans 10  120,750 

Washington 6  28,110 

Average  27,363 

Note — ♦For  through  track  only. 
fFor  total  earnings. 

Earnings  expressed  in  terms  of  track  mileage  measures  the 
combined  density  and  riding  habit  of  the  population  tributary 
to  the  railway  lines.  The  cities  listed  vary  from  $12,000  in  Mil- 
waukee to  $34,500  in  Brooklyn,  averaging  about  $27,000  per  mile. 
This  ratio  also  is  affected  by  the  amount  of  interurban  track 
operated.  Thus  Pittsburgh,  Buffalo,  Detroit  and  Milwaukee  are 
relatively  lower  in  earnings  per  mile  as  compared  with  such  cities 
as  St.  Louis,  San  Francisco  and  Cleveland,  where  there  are  few 
outlying  lines.  It  is  usually  impossible  to  separate  interur- 
ban from  city  earnings.  In  Detroit,  however,  the  earnings  for 
the  five-cent  fare  zone  which  approximates  the  city  limits,  are 
about  $23,000  per  mile,  but  less  than  $16,000,  including  the 
interurban  system. 

Pittsburgh  ranks  twelfth — $17,090  per  mile,  practically  the 
same  as  Baltimore.  For  the  surface  railway  alone,  Chicago 
earns  nearly  twice  as  much  as  Pittsburgh  and  exceeds  Boston 
and  Philadelphia  with  their  Rapid  Transit  systems  included. 


ANNUAL  CAR  MILES  PER  MILE  OF  TRACK. 


Rank 

Chicago 1 

Brooklyn 2 

Philadelphia 3 

Boston 4 

St.  Louis 8 

Baltimore 9 

PITTSBURGH n 

Cleveland 5 

Buffalo 12 

San  Francisco 13 

Cincinnati 7 

Detroit 10 

Milwaukee , 14 

New  Orleans 6 

Washington 

Average 
Note — *Year  1907. 

fFor  through  track  only. 
•Basis  of  total  car  miles 


Revenue  Car 

Miles  per  Mile 

Total  Single 

Track 

128.800 

128,500 

*>113,000 

105,200 

85,400 

67,700 

61,450 

95,400 

52,250 

*48,120 

♦94,200 

°65,310 

t45,100 

94,700 


86,271 


I 


This  ratio  is  a  measure  of  the  average  density  of  car  service, 
that  is  the  number  of  car  miles  per  mile  of  track  per  year  and  is 
inversely  proportional  to  the  average  time  interval  or  headway 
between  cars. 

For  instance,  if  a  one-minute  headway  was  to  be  maintained 
over  the  entire  system  for  18  hours  each  day  for  365  days  in  a 
year,  the  measure  of  the  activity  of  the  line  would  be  365  x  18  x  60 
or  394,200  car  miles  per  mile  of  track  per  year.  This  figure  is 
independent  of  the  average  speed  of  the  cars.  If  the  number 
of  car  miles  actually  reported  for  any  system  are  divided  into 
394,200,  then  the  average  headway  for  an  18  hour  day  can  be 
determined  at  once. 

The  above  table  shows  an  average  of  86,271  car  miles  per 
mile  of  track  per  year  for  the  cities  listed,  which  would  mean  an 
average  headway  of  394200^-86271  or  4i  minutes  on  the  basis 
of  18  hours  operation  each  day. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  Chicago  uses  its  tracks  to  the  best 
advantage,  having  128,800  car  miles  per  mile  of  track  per  year, 
while  Milwaukee  shows  the  least  density  of  car  service  and  Pitts- 
burgh is  considerably  below  the  average. 


'-^-^■-      --^-..^a^'iAim. 


132      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


CARS  PER  MILE  OF  TRACK. 


i 


Rank 

Chicago 6 

Brooklyn 3 

Philadelphia 4 

Boston 1 

St.  Louis 12 

Baltimore 7 

PITTSBURGH    10 

Cleveland 8 

Buffalo 13 

San  Francisco 14 

Cincinnati 5 

Detroit 11 

Milwaukee 15 

New  Orleans 9 

Washington 2 

Note — jYear  1907. 

♦For  main  through  track  only. 

•Including  Wash.  Ry.  and  Elec.  Co. — Capital  Traction  only,  6.15. 


Total  Passen- 
ger Cars  per 
Mile  Total 
Single  Track 

4.85 

5.70 

5.48 

7.12 
t2.  67 
*4.72 

2.84 

3.29 

2.47 
*2.43 

5.42 
12.71 
*1.48 

2.88 
°6.06 


This  ratio  is  an  indirect  measure  of  the  frequency  of  service 
along  the  right  of  way.  It  varies  from  7.1  cars  per  mile  in  Boston 
to  1.5  in  Milwaukee.  If  all  were  in  service,  as  for  example 
during  rush  hours,  the  Boston  density  is  equivalent  to  one  car 
every  740  feet  of  single  track.  Pittsburgh  operates  2.84  cars 
per  mile,  evidently  below  the  average;  however  interurban  mileage 
must  be  here  taken  into  consideration  as  less  frequent  service 
is  required.  This  is  notably  the  case  in  Buffalo  and  Milwaukee, 
and  Detroit. 

In  making  this  comparison  it  must  be  remembered  that  the 
relative  number  of  miles  of  interurban  track  affect  the  results 
as  the  comparatively  infrequent  service  on  such  lines  will  reduce 
the  average  to  a  considerable  extent. 


COMPARATIVE  TRACTION  RESULTS 


133 


ANNUAL  EARNINGS  PER  CAR. 


Rank 

Chicago 6 

Brooklyn 8 

Philadelphia 10 

Boston 12 

St.  Louis 3 

Baltimore 14 

PITTSBURGH 7 

Cleveland 4 

Buffalo 9 

San  Francisco 1 

Cincinnati 13 

Detroit 11 

Milwaukee 2 

New  Orleans 5 

Washington .' 

Average 
Note— JYear  1907. 

tFor  Total  earnings. 


Gross 
Earnings  from 
Operation  per 
Passenger  Car 

$7,015 

6,050 

5,300 

4,120 

7,900 

3,810 

6,770 

7,445 

5,612 
11,890 
13,971 
J5,102 

7,995 
t7,260 

•   •   •   • 

5,818 


The  annual  earnings  per  car  is  of  importance,  but  is  not 
necessarily  a  measure  of  service,  as  comparatively  large  earnings 
per  car  might  result  from  either  overcrowding,  which  would  mean 
poor  service,  or  from  a  large  annual  car  mileage  per  car  which 
would  mean  good  service. 

The  average  earnings  for  all  the  systems  listed  are  $5818  per 
car  per  year,  and  the  range  appears  to  be  from  $3810  in  Baltimore 
to  $11890  in  San  Francisco,  Pittsburgh's  record  being  $6770  per 
car,  or  somewhat  above  the  average. 

Like  other  data  based  upon  the  car  as  a  unit,  this  ratio  is 
affected  by  the  size  of  the  cars  and  the  proportionate  amount 
of  service  supplied  by  each  of  the  various  sizes  of  cars  making 
up  the  total  car  equipment  of  each  system. 


i.; 


'I 


134      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


ANNUAL  CAR  MILES  PER  CAR. 


Ui  i 


Revenue  Car 
Miles  per  Car 
Rank  per  Year 

Chicago 5  26,570 

Brooklyn 6  22,540 

Philadelphia 9  °21,340 

Boston 13  14,760 

St.  Louis 4  27,670 

Baltimore 14  14,340 

PITTSBURGH 8  21,600 

Cleveland 3  28,960 

Buffalo 10  21,120 

San  Francisco 11  *20.380 

Cincinnati 12  *18,180 

Detroit 7  *22,200 

Milwaukee 2  30,320 

New  Orleans 1  33,100 

Washington 

Note— *Year  1907. 

**Year  1909,  basis  total  car  miles. 

The  measure  of  the  activity  of  the  car  equipment  is  the 
record  of  the  number  of  car  miles  operated  by  each  car  per  year. 
If  a  car  could  be  operated  for  18  hours  and  365  days  in  the  year 
at  an  average  speed  of  9  miles  per  hour,  it  would  have  a  record  at 
the  end  of  the  year  of  18  x  365  x  9  or  59,130  car  miles.  In  prac- 
tice, however,  cars  must  be  withdrawn  for  repairs,  and  only  part 
of  the  equipment  is  required  for  service  during  non-rush  hours, 
so  that  the  actual  record  of  car  miles  will  fall  considerably  below 
the  possible  total.  In  addition,  many  systems  substitute  open 
cars  for  many  of  their  closed  cars  in  the  summer  months,  and  this 
practice  would  considerably  reduce  the  average  car  mileage  per 
car.  The  figures  in  the  table,  however,  show  the  actual  reported 
results  which  range  from  33,100  annual  car  miles  per  car  with 
the  New  Orleans  system  to  14,340  car  miles  per  car  with  the 
Baltimore  railways.  Pittsburgh  is  about  the  average,  with  a 
record  of  21,600  car  miles  per  car  per  year. 


COMPARATIVE  TRACTION  RESULTS 


135 


LENGTH  OF  CAR  TRAVEL. 

An  important  factor  in  comparisons  between  cities  of  differ- 
ent dimensions  is  the  relative  length  of  car  travel.  This  factor 
shows  the  averge  length  of  trip  in  miles  traversed  by  the  cars 
on  the  various  routes  comprising  the  system.  The  figure  is 
obtained  by  dividing  the  aggregate  car  mileage  by  the  total 
number  of  single  trip  runs.  It  will  be  seen  that  this  is  not  an 
arithmetical  average  of  the  trip  lengths  of  the  various  routes, 
but  represents  the  true  average  of  the  system,  i.  e.  both  long 
and  short  routes  are  accorded  proper  representation  or  weight 
in  the  general  average  by  summing  up  the  totals  rather  than 
averaging  the  individual  trip  lengths. 

Aggregate                  Total            Average  Average 

Car  Miles                  Round         _  Length  Length 

Run                        Trips           Round  Trip  Single  Trip 

Miles  Miles 

PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS  CO.     (5c.  zone) 

111  Single  routes  .    .  27,009,445  2,633,231  10.26  5-13 

Maximum  * °f^ 

Minimum ^•"'* 

CHICAGO  RAILWAYS  CO. 

46  Single  routes   .    .   40,707,077           3.701,470              10.99  5-49 

7  Through  routes  .    4,009,691               170,530             2350  11.75 

TOTAL   .    .    .  44,716,768           3,872,000              11.55  5.78 

Maximum  one  way  through  route 17.72 

Minimum        "                "             "       7.50 

Maximum  one  way  single  route 8.71 

Minimum        "              "          "        0.92 

♦Loneest  haul'within  5c  zone,  Bellevue-Westview  Loop,  extends  outside  City  Limits. 
See  Map  Comparison  of  Cities,  page  122-3. 

These  results  indicate  that  the  average  length  of  a  car  travel  in 
Pi  ttsburgh— 5. 13  miles— is  not  greatly  different  from  that  of  Chicago 
—5.78  miles— where  city  boundaries  are  much  further  from  the  busi- 
ness center.  In  this  connection  the  comparative  map  of  city 
traction  areas  accompanying  this  chapter  will  be  of  interest. 
The  Chicago  results,  to  be  sure,  are  confined  to  the  lines  operat- 
ing in  the  North  and  West  Sides  only,  but  as  both  of  the  princi- 
pal Chicago  Railway  systems  cover  a  territory  radiating  from 
the  business  center,  the  data  from  the  Chicago  Railways  Company 
may  be  taken  as  generally  indicative  of  conditions  existing  in 
that  city. 

Considering  the  greater  dimensions  of  the  western  city  it 
would  appear  that  in  Pittsburgh  there  should  be  a  possibility  of 
reducing  car  travel  by  the  establishment  of  short  haul  routes, 
either  on  the  inner  loop  principal  or  by  means  of  transverse 
routes.  Comparatively  few  such  routes  exist  in  the  present 
scheme. 


136      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


REVENUE 

CAR  MILES 

PER  MILE 

SINGLE  TRACK 


GROSS  EARNINGS 

PER 

MILE  TRACK 


GROSS  EARNINGS 

PER 

CAR  MILE 


OPERATING 

EXPENSES  PER 

CAR  MILE 


ALL  PASSENGERS 

PER 

CAR  MILE 


MILEAGE 
SINGLE   TRACK 


TOTAL 

PASSENGERS 

CARRIED 


REVENUE 
CAR  MILES 


ANNUAL 

GROSS  EARNINGS 

FROM 

OPERATION 


I 


X       Q 


?    8    ^ 


z 
p 


5      o 


z 
o 


a 


X 
0. 


3 


»      z 


o 

-I 

i 

3 
O 


O 

u 

z 
< 

K 
k. 

Z 


M 

Z 


*        O 


3 
< 


3 


z 

g 

..-si 

i    M    £   I 

U        O        Z         Z        ) 


800.000  OOO 
600,000.000 
400.000.000 

200,000,000 

O 

80.000,000 
60.000,000 
40,000,000 
20,000,000 

O- 

20,000,000 
1  5.000,000 
1 0,000,000 
60,000,000 

o 


COMPARATIVE  OPERATING  RESULTS  OF  LARGE 
URBAN  TRACTION  SYSTEMS. 


COMPARATIVE  TRACTION  RESULTS  137 


Summary  of  Comparative  Results. 

In  the  foregoing  exhibits,  the  traction  results  from  the 
various  cities  have  been  shown  in  detail.  Compared  intel- 
ligently and  with  proper  reservation,  as  noted  at  the  beginning 
of  this  chapter,  general  impressions  gained  by  other  observa- 
tions may  be  made  more  definite.  In  these  comparisons,  both  total 
quantities  and  ratios  have  been  used,  the  one  conveying  an  idea 
of  the  size  or  extent  of  the  traction  operations,  the  other,  re- 
ducing the  data  to  the  same  basis  irrespective  of  size.  Thus 
these  ratios  may  be  regarded  as  measures  or  indices  of  density, 
service,  crowding,  activity  in  the  use  of  equipment,  etc. 

The  diagram  on  the  opposite  page  recapitulates  at  a  glance 
the  more  important  relations  of  the  foregoing  tables  exclusive 
of  the  financial  results  shown  by  the  first  diagram  of  this  chapter. 

The  four  lower  groups  of  ordinates  record  total  quantities; 
the  remaining  groups  above  show  ratios  between  these  quanti- 
ties. Note  that  all  the  car  mile  ratios  are  plotted  from  the 
same  base  line,  likewise  the  ratios  per  mile  of  track.  The  figures 
opposite  each  city  record  its  respective  rank. 

Studying  the  quantity  records,  it  may  be  seen  that  Pitts- 
burgh ranks  sixth  among  the  cities  in  earnings,  car  miles  and 
passenger  traffic,  but  ranks  relatively  higher— 4th— in  track 
mileage.  This  impression  of  an  expanded  system  is  reflected 
again  in  the  fact  that  Pittsburgh  ranks  low— 11th  or  12th-in 
car  miles  and  earnings  per  mile  of  track. 

Turning  to  the  car  mile  records  which  are  rendered  some- 
what uncertain  by  varying  practice  in  counting  transfers  and 
computing  car  mileage,  Pittsburgh  ranks  high— 3rd -in  earnings 
and  expenses  per  car  mile,  but  low— 11th— in  passengers  per  car 
mile.  This  seeming  discrepancy  is  largely  explained  by  the 
fact  that  Pittsburgh  gives  few  transfers  In  other  cities  reve- 
nue passengers  are  recounted  more  times  than  in  Pittsburgh,— in 
Chicago  as  high  as  58%  more.  All  the  car  mile  ratios  from 
Pittsburgh  are  influenced  by  the  fact  that  trailers  are  counted 
as  full  car  mileage. 

In  conclusion  these  comparative  results  may  be  summarized 
in  the  following  order:  Extent  of  System,  Service  Rendered 
leading  up  to  the  fundamental— Financial  return. 

In  extent,  the  Pittsburgh  system  may  be  said  to  be  rela- 
tively overexpanded  as  compared  to  larger  or  more  densely 
settled  cities.    This  necessarily  reflects  in  a  less  density  of 


138      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


i 


!i  ffii 


I      \ 


>! 


patronage,  and  lower  earning  capacity  per  mile  of  road,  indicat- 
ing plenty  of  opportunity  for  cultivation  of  traffic  along  the  lines 
already  constructed. 

Similarly,  the  density  and  frequency  of  service  is  adversely 
affected  by  this  patronage  being  spread  out  over  a  large  area. 
However,  decided  efforts  have  been  made  to  maintain  income 
per  car  mile  at  a  high  point,  which  can  hardly  be  done  under 
such  conditions  without  economizing  service.  Many  other 
cities  excel  Pittsburgh  in  activity  of  equipment,  i.  e.  annual 
mileage  per  car.  Conversely  this  is  reflected  in  the  relatively 
high  unit  earnings  per  car  mile  and  per  car. 

Transfer  arrangements  in  Pittsburgh  are  extremely  cur- 
tailed resulting  in  a  lower  total  passenger  traffic  than  would  be 
expected,  and  also  a  fictitiously  low  factor  of  crowding,— passen- 
gers per  car  mile.  However  the  maximum  fare  is  maintained 
with  relatively  few  concessions  below  five  cents. 

In  final  return  to  the  Company,  Pittsburgh  is  evidently  at- 
tempting the  impossible  under  present  conditions  of  traffic, 
service  and  income  owing  to  the  excessive  burden  of  fixed 
charges.  Operating  ratios  for  the  important  cities  average  out 
about  the  same  as  Pittsburgh,  but  including  taxes  and  depreci- 
ation, Pittsburgh  is  somewhat  below  the  average.  However,  if 
the  deficit  incurred  be  disregarded,  then  the  Pittsburgh  system 
would  appear  to  be  in  a  fairly  favorable  position. 

These  figures  naturally  suggest  the  necessity  of  building  up 
of  earnings  by  cultivating  the  * 'riding  habit,''  the  possibilities 
of  saving  in  maintenance  and  power  costs  and  the  probable 
benefit  of  a  more  liberal  transfer  policy,  for  as  compared  to 
other  cities,  Pittsburgh's  system  has  plenty  of  track  but  is  lack- 
ing in  car  equipment  and  patronage. 

In  the  comparison  of  the  length  of  car  travel  in  Chicago  and 
Pittsburgh  are  revealed  two  opposite  tendencies  referred  to 
elsewhere  in  the  report.  Although  a  much  smaller  city,  Pitts- 
burgh has  had  to  reach  out  further  for  its  income  occasioning 
the  comparatively  long  haul  noted.  Had  its  density  of  traffic 
increased  sufficiently,  this  long  haul,  of  course,  would  have  been 
justified  and  perhaps  in  addition,  many  through  routes,  as  in 
Chicago.  But  on  the  other  hand,  there  should  have  been  a  con- 
sistent tendency  toward  contraction  by  means  of  short  haul 
routes  to  better  serve  the  growing  density  nearer  the  business 
center.    The  expansion  has  been  a  necessity  and  very  desirable, 


COMPARATIVE  TRACTION  RESULTS 


139 


but  the  contraction  has  been  neglected.  Thus  m  order  to  com- 
pensate for  the  geographic  disparity  with  other  cities,  Pitts- 
burgh must  give  more  attention  to  this  feature— short  haul. 

Finally,  the  study  of  growth  of  earnings  with  population 
shows  that  the  possibilities  of  the  Pittsburgh  District  are  po- 
tential and  it  is  only  a  reasonable  conclusion  from  all  the  data 
at  hand  that  the  earnings  per  capita  can  be  materially  increas- 
ed by  consttotly  improving  the  service,  as  has  been  demon- 
strated in  other  cities. 


fjmm, 


•  !• 


POPUIATION 


000000 


000  OOP 


000000 


mm 


GROWTH  or  POPULATION 

-t — I — I — I — h 


U.S.  CENSUS    I8J0— 1910 

A 1 \- 


LARGER   CITIES 


leio 


DESCRIPTION  OF  CURVES. 

The  growth  in  population  duringr  each 
decade  is  measured  either  by  percentage 
growth  or  by  actual  growth.  The  accompa- 
nying: table  shows  that  since  1900  the  per- 
centapre  increased  in  New  York.  Detroit. 
Cincinnati  and  San  Francisco;  in  Brooklyn, 
Cleveland  and  New  Orleans  it  remained 
practically  constant,  but  decreased  in  all 
other  cases.  Theref oi  e,  it  may  be  said  that, 
as  a  rule,  "population  increases  at  a  de- 
creasingr  rate  of  increase." 

The  actual  growth  is  indicated  by  the 
upward  slope  of  the  curves.  If  the  growth 
of  any  city  during:  two  successive  decades 
is  equal  in  number  of  persons,  or  constant, 
the  curve  will  ascend  along:  a  straight  line. 
If  there  is  a  falling  off  in  growth,  the  curve 
will  droop.  If  there  is  an  increase  in  growth, 
the  curve  will  a.scend  Thus  Boston,  Phila- 
delphia, New  Orleans  and  Old  Pittsburgh 
may  be  said  tohavea"straightline"growth. 

Greater  Pitt.sburgh  shows  a  falling  off 
in  the  amount  of  growth  for  the  last  ten 
years,  but  the  curves  for  Old  Pittsburgh 
and  Allegheny  respectively  indicate  that 
this  was  due  to  the  comparatively  slow 
growth  of  the  North  Side.  Allegheny  County 
however  has  been  growing  at  a  constantly 
increasing  amount  for  the  last  three  de- 
cades- 


IS40 


I6S0 


IA60 


1570 


IMO 


1090 


1900 


1910 


1920 


1930 


1030 


1640 


1650 


1860 


1670 


leso 


1090 


1900 


1910 


i 


1920 


1930 


GROWTH  OF  POPULATION  OF  AMERICAN  CITIES  AND  OF  PITTSBURGH  TRACTION  DISTRICT. 

These  curves  record  the  population  of  the  first  fifteen  cities  of  the  United  Stetes  for  successive  decades,  as  compared  with  Pittsburgh,  Allegheny  county 
and  the  Pittsburgh  Traction  District.  With  the  exception  of  the  District  Population,  the  curves  are  based  on  the  United  States  Census  returns  and  include 
successive  annexations  in  the  various  cities.  This  is  partly  responsible  for  some  of  the  irregularities  in  the  curves,  as  for  example  m  the  case  of  Chicago, 
which  annexed  a  large  territory  in  1889,  thus  causing  an  abrupt  rise  in  the  population  curve.  ^  .  „     ,  i.       u  4- 

The  population  of  the  Traction  District  is  now  approximately  one  million  people,  which  is  also  about  the  population  of  Allegheny  county— but  on 
account  of  the  extensions  of  the  trolley  system  into  new  territory,  the  population  served  by  the  traction  system  has  been  increasing  faster  than  the  population 
of  the  county.  Judging  therefore  from  past  experience,  it  is  reasonable  to  estimate  that  the  Traction  District  will  double  in  population  within  about  30  years 
time,  while  the  county  will  increase  from  l,000,00i)  to  2,000,000  population  in  about  40  years,  or  by  1950. 


ll 


i 


! 


RELATION  BETWEEN   GROWTH    OF    POPULA- 
TION AND  EARNINGS. 


As  population  grows,  do  traction  earnings  increase 
at  the  same  or  a  faster  rate? 

A  study  of  the  relative  growth  of  population  and  of 
transit  earnings  of  the  large  American  cities  during 
the  past  ten  years  shows  some  surprising  results  and 
points  to  the  conclusion  (indicated  in  the  accompanying 
diagram) ,  that  as  a  rule,  the  earnings  from  local  transportation 
increase  as  the  square  of  the  population.  If  this  statement  is 
correct,  it  means  that  when  the  population  of  the 
average  community  doubles,  then  the  earnings  from 
transportation  may  be  expected  to  increase  four  fold, 
provided  that  the  transit  facilities  keep  pace  with  the 
demand. 

For  comparative  purposes,  the  actual  relation  be- 
tween population  and  earnings  in  each  of  the  large 
cities  can  best  be  shown  graphically  on  logarithmic 
section  paper,  as  described  in  detail  thereon.  Opposite 
the  name  of  each  city  is  given  the  index  number  or 
power  representing  the  relative  rate  of  growth.  It 
should  be  remembered  that  as  the  index  number  is 
greater  or  less  than  two  (2.0)  the  earnings  have  in- 
creased at  a  greater  or  lesser  rate  than  the  square  of 
the  population. 

The  record  in  Pittsburgh  for  the  past  ten  or  fifteen 
years  is  erratic,  due  to  several  causes.  The  surface 
system  has  been  extended  rapidly  into  outlying  ter- 
ritory, and  the  business  depressions  have  been  partic- 
ularly felt  in  this  District,  but  on  the  other  hand  in 
years  of  prosperity,  the  earnings  have  increased  much 
more  rapidly  than  at  the  average  rate.  For  instance, 
counting  on  this  rule  of  the  square,  the  earnings  this 
year  should  increase  over  the  last  fiscal  year  by  about 
$625,000,  while  the  present  actual  income  is  at  the  rate 
of  about  $800,000.  According  to  this  it  will  be  safe  to 
estimate  the  earnings  from  the  surface  system  as  in- 
creasing with  the  square  of  the  growth  in  population 
for  the  next  few  years.  Whether  or  not  the  amount  of 
money  to  be  expended  for  transportation  in  the  Pitts- 
burgh District  will  continue  to  increase  at  the  same 
rate  must,  of  course,  depend  on  the  continued  pros- 
perity of  the  District  and  upon  the  rapid  transit  facil- 
ities which  may  be  provided. 

This  analysis  is  confined  to  the  past  decade.  Dur- 
ing the  previous  decade  electrification  of  horse  and 
cable  railways  took  place  which  rendered  the  results 
net  comparable  owing  to  the  different  operating  condi- 
tions. 


Earnings 

PER   YEAR, 
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90.000.000 


80.000.000 
70.000.000 

60.000.000 
50.000.000 

40.000.000 
30.000.000 


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9.000.000 

8.000.000 
7.000.000 

6.000.000 
5.000.000 

4.000.000 


3.000.000 


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SCALE  FOR 
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TRIBUTARY  POPULATION 


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DESCRIPTION  OF  LOGARITHMIC  PLOT. 

On  this  logarithmic  section  paper,  relations  between 
two  variables  are  plotted  in  the  same  manner  as  on 
linear  section  paper.  But  in  the  resulting  plot  there 
is  this  difference:— Assuming  for  example  that  earn- 
ings increase  as  the  square  ot  the  population,  on  linear 
paper  this  relation  would  result  in  a  gradually  ascend- 
ing curve:  on  log  paper  however,  it  becomes  a  straight 
line  with  a  slope  of  two  to  one.  And  any  other  data 
that  plots  out  with  a  slope  of  two  to  one  may  be  at 
once  recognized  as  embodying  the  square.  Similarly 
a  relation  plotting  out  with  a  slope  of  three  to  one 
embodies  the  cube.  etc.  Hence  it  is  only  necessary  to 
focus  attention  on  the  slope  of  the  lines  plotted. 

Now  in  the  diagram  two  points  are  plotted  for  each 
city  in  order  to  define  the  average  growth  during  the 
past  decade.  For  the  upper  point  the  earnings  for  the 
last  fiscal  year  are  plotted  with  the  corresponding 
population  derived  from  the  1910  census.  A  line  con- 
necting these  points  represents  the  true  average  rela- 
tion between  these  variables  and  the  slope  of  the  line, 
the  rate  of  change  as  expressed  by  a  power  such  as 
the  square,  cube.  etc.  or  fractional  parts  thereof.  To 
illustrate— If  in  1900  there  were  1,000,000  people  and 
$10,000,000  earnings  and  in  1910  there  were  2.000.000 
people  and  $40,000,000  earnings,  respectively  then  the 
vertical  rise  in  earnings  is  twice  the  horizontal  growth 
in  population,  which  means  that  earnings  increase 
as  the  square  of  the  i>opulation. 


9     1.000.000 


7      8     9    lO 


i 


, 


I  i 


l» 


CITY  PLANNING  AND  TRANSPORTATION. 


Urging  the  recognition  oj  transportation  as  a  vital  jactor  oj  city 
growthj— Opposing  tendencies  oj  expansion  and  contraction, 
— Intercommunication  between  natural  centers  the  key  to 
progress,— Necessity  oj  a  City  Plan  jor  the  juiure,— Im- 
portant questions  discussed:  Present  service,  Future  equip- 
ment. Through  routes,  Transjers,  Rapid  transit,  Financial 
policy.  Zone  system.  Competition,— Necessity  oj  constant 
extension, — Complete  public  control  essential  to  juiure  City 
Plan, — Legislation  necessary. 

Cities  and  Districts  grow  according  to  natural  laws.  It 
has  only  been  within  recent  years  however,  that  these  laws  have 
been  studied  in  this  country  in  such  a  way  as  to  lead  to  the  under- 
standing of  the  science  of  City  Planning.  But  there  is  now 
a  decided  tendency  in  many  cities  to  substitute  intelligent 
foresight  for  the  previous  policy  of  a  hap-hazard  development 
with  its  natural  consequences  of  paying  for  improvements  at  the 
expense  of  experience. 

Expansion  and  Contraction. 

A  study  of  urban  communities  shows  that  they  develop 
according  to  the  laws  of  both  expansion  and  contraction.  The 
tendency  is  always  to  spread  out  from  the  origin,  and  at  the  same 
time  there  is  a  reflex  action  toward  congestion  at  the  center  of 
the  city.  Modern  transportation  methods  have  revolutionized 
the  social  conditions  and  economic  laws  of  urban  hfe  in  such  a 
way  that  both  of  these  conflicting  tendencies  of  axial  growth 
and  central  congestion  have  been  accentuated.  This  continual 
spreading  out  of  the  community  makes  the  problems  of  provid- 
ing and  maintaining  such  municipal  improvements  as  streets, 
pavement,  sewerage  and  water,  as  well  as  police  and  fire  protection 
more  and  more  difficult.  On  the  other  hand,  the  movement  of 
a  large  part  of  the  population  to  and  from  the  business  center 
on  each  work  day  results  in  congested  thoroughfares  and  crowded 
downtown  streets.  City  re-planning  must  recognize  the  con- 
stantly increasing  demands  for  both  country  Ufe  and  city  apart- 
ments, for  both  spread-out  factory  districts  and  downtown  sky- 
scrapers, as  the  modern  city  must  be  the  resultant  of  these  con- 
flicting developments. 


»! 


S' 

A I 
*'! ' 
fit 


|i 


!. 


i 


142      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM. 


Development  of  Centers. 

The  life  of  a  community  appears  to  crystallize  about  natural 
centers.  There  will  be  centers  of  business  and  trade,  wholesale 
and  retail  districts,  central  points  for  amusement  and  education, 
park  and  playground  areas  for  rest  and  recreation,  terminals  for 
freight  and  passenger  traffic,  and  sections  devoted  to  warehouses 
and  factories,  while  in  between  these  sections  or  beyond  them 
will  be  found  the  residence  communities.  The  transportation 
problem  consists  in  providing  and  maintaining  the  most  direct, 
rapid,  comfortable  and  economic  system  of  communication  be- 
tween these  centers  and  the  homes  of  the  people.  And  in  proportion 
as  these  systems  of  intercommunication  are  designed  to  supply  the 
demands  for  transportation  during  the  rush  hour  periods  without 
too  great  an  overstrain,  will  the  centers  of  business  and  recreation 
develop  and  the  prosperity  and  happiness  of  the  community  grow. 

Intercommunication  Between  Centers. 

This  traffic  between  the  centers  of  a  community  develops 
along  natural  lines,  which,  when  well  located,  should  be  encour- 
aged and  perpetuated.  It  is  being  found  that  that  city  or  dis- 
trict which  has  its  main  arteries  located  on  diagonal  lines  has  a 
more  natural  and  convenient  design  than  the  one  using  the  rec- 
tangular system  of  streets  and  highways.  The  centers  of  a  Dis- 
trict should  therefore  be  interconnected  by  a  system  of  "radials 
and  circuits"  and  the  corresponding  transportation  system  should 
provide  the  easiest  means  for  reaching  each  center,  for  passing 
directly  through  that  center,  or  of  avoiding  it  entirely  by  a 
convenient  by-pass  route.  The  social  and  commercial  advan- 
tages of  the  District  will  be  the  more  or  less  ideal  in  proportion 
to  the  fusion  which  is  secured  between  the  various  component 
parts  of  the  community  by  means  of  its  systems  of  intercom- 
munication. 

City  Plan  for  Pittsburgh. 

In  preparing  this  report  upon  the  Transportation  Problem 
of  Pittsburgh,  there  have  been  kept  in  mind  the  larger  problems 
of  City  and  District  Planning  with  which  the  proper  arrangement  of 
the  transit  facilities  is  seen  to  be  so  intimately  and  vitally  connected. 

As  indicated  in  the  letter  authorizing  this  report,  there 
has  already  been  prepared  a  preliminary  report  on  "City  Planning 
for  Pittsburgh"  in  which  the  subject  of  Electric  Railroads  was 
given  prominent  place.  The  preliminary  report  was  made  to 
the  Pittsburgh  Civic  Commission,  and  in  order  to  show  the  se- 
quence   between    that   report    and    the     present    one,    it  has 


CITY  PLANNING. 


143 


been  thought  best  to  repeat  and  answer  those  questions  of  the 
Civic  Commission's  study  having  to  do  with  Electric  Railroads, 

as  follows.  I.    T>   •; 

1 .  How  much  better  service  can  the  Pittsburgh  Kail- 
ways  Company  afford  to  give  ai  once? 

A  very  decided  improvement  in  service  can  be  secured  with- 
out any  material  addition  to  present  operating  expenses  by  re-ar- 
ranging the  present  distribution  of  cars  throughout  the  day  on 
the  various  routes,  by  keeping  the  cars  up  to  schedule  and  by 
re-routing  the  entire  system,  both  to  provide  through  routes  and 
to  take  advantage  of  the  transfer  principle.    It  is  difficult  to 
express  these  changes  in  percentage  of  improvement,  but  with 
the  additions  to  equipment  which  the  current  increase  m  patron- 
age will  justify,  the  car  service  can  and  should  be  improved  until 
it  will  be  reasonably  adequate.     This  improvement  will  m  turn 
result  in  additional  business  so  that  eventually  the  company  will 
have  the  increased  earnings  it  needs,  and  the  public  will  have  the 
adequate  service  it  has  the  right  to  expect.    Viewed  from  this 
standpoint,  the  company  can  hardly  afford  to  economize  its 
service,  for  the  possibility  of  cultivating  the  riding  habit  by  fur- 
nishing good  service  is  an  opportunity  which  should  not  be  longer 
overiooked.     The  great  increase  in  the  receipts  per  capita  per 
annum  without  great  comparative  increase  in  the  population 
in  Albany,  St.  Louis,  Chicago  and  some  other   American  cities 
are  potent  examples  of  the  benefits  realized  from  close  atten- 
tion to  the  improvement  of  service.* 

2,  What  equipmeni  should  be  provided  jor  a  service 
which  should  increase  with  growing  demands  in  order  to 
secure  safety,  reasonable  comfort  and  maximum  capacity? 

In  the  first  place,  the  present  equipment  of  tracks,  cars,  power 
plants,  car  shops  and  storage  houses,  feeder  system,  returns,  etc. 
should  be  thoroughly  rehabilUated.  The  expenditure  for  this 
purpose  should  amount  to  fully  $10,000,000. 

Future  renewals  of  equipment  should  be  provided  for  out 
of  earnings  at  the  rate  of  at  least  $1,000,000  per  year,  which  means 
an  annual  depreciation  fund  for  future  obsolescence  equal  to 
about  10%  of  the  gross  earnings. 

Equipment  to  provide  for  future  extensions,  betterments 
and  improvements  should  be  purchased  at  the  rate  of  at  least 
$3.00  of  new  investment  for  each  additional  dollar  of  annual 
earnings.  As  the  earnings  are  at  present  increasing  at  the  rate 
of  about  $800,000  per  year,  the  new  capital  which  should  be  avail- 
able annually,  should  amount  to  at  least  $2,500,000 

*See  insert  diagram  opposite  page  140. 


;*™l* 


I' « 


144      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM. 


In  order  to  protect  its  investments  and  at  the  same  time 
furnish  adequate  service,  the  Railway  Company  should  develop 
a  financial  plan  which  should  provide  for  the  above  amounts  for 
rehabilitation,   depreciation  and  improvements. 

5.  What  possibilities  are  there  jor  through  routes? 

The  decision  upon  through  routes  must  depend  upon  the 
outcome  of  a  co-operative  effort  between  the  City  and  the  Com- 
pany to  rearrange  the  routes  and  to  provide  some  new  connec- 
tions which  would  make  re-routing  of  the  entire  system  possible. 
There  are  many  cases  where  through  routes  would  be  the  most 
efficient  plan,  as  it  would  result  in  reducing  operating  expenses, 
and  by  providing  facilities  for  short  haul  riding,  which  are 
now  lacking,  would  also  increase  the  earnings.  Through  routes 
cannot  be  most  effectively  worked  out  without  additional  tracks 
and  connections.  New  grants  for  these  tracks  apparently  must 
depend  upon  the  requirements  and  concessions  involved  in  get- 
ting a  fair  arrangement  all  around  for  both  future  adequate  service 
and  a  protected  investment,  so  that  the  question  of  through 
routes  cannot  be  determined  separately,  but  depends  upon  the 
settlement  of  the  entire  question. 

-4.  Will  it  be  reasonable  to  expect  universal  transfers 
and  one  fare  for  the  entire  City? 

It  will  be  reasonable  to  expect  "one  City — one  fare"  and  ''a 
continuous  ride  in  one  direction  with  one  transfer"  provided  a 
definite  agreement  can  be  reached  as  to  how  much  of  the  income 
from  passenger  traffic  is  to  be  returned  into  the  operation  of  the 
system  in  the  form  of  service.  Such  an  agreement  would  defin- 
itely fix  the  basis  of  adequate  service,  as  a  given  income  would 
practically  dictate  a  corresponding  number  of  car  miles.  If 
these  car  miles  can  be  operated  so  as  to  produce  satisfactory  ser- 
vice, then  there  should  be  no  necessity  of  collecting  more  than  one 
fare  for  a  ride  from  one  part  of  the  city  to  any  other  part — ^but 
if  a  trial  under  such  an  agreement  should  indicate  that  the  car 
service  was  not  sufficient,  then  the  alternative  of  charging  for 
certain  transfers  would  be  the  natural  result.  Chicago  now  has 
through  routes  and  practically  universal  transfers  while  Cleveland 
is  passing  through  a  trial  period  to  determine  the  amount  of 
fare  to  be  charged,  so  that  the  suggestion  of  a  trial  of  universal 
transfers  cannot  be  considered  unreasonable. 

6,  When  will  the  density  of  the  traffic'^ justify  the  devel- 
opment of  a  subway,  elevated  road  or  other  rapid  transit 
system? 


CITY  PLANNING. 


145 


i 


The  construction  and  operation  of  rapid  transit  systems 
will  create  traffic,  and  on  the  other  hand,  the  failure  to  provide 
improved  facilities  will  hold  back  the  development  of  a  com- 
munity. To  strike  just  the  proper  balance  which  will  not  in- 
volve too  large  a  development  charge  for  non-paymg  operation 
on  one  hand  or  too  great  a  lag  of  actual  building  behind  the  de- 
mand on  the  other  hand,  is  one  of  the  most  important  problems 
involved  in  rapid  transit  development. 

There  is  no  question  that  the  tendency  "to  get  out  into  the 
country"  will  tend  to  militate  against  the  building  of  subways  m 
Pittsburgh,  but  if  the  downtown  terminal  facilities  of  a  subway 
system  are  property  combined  with  the  rapid  transit  service  of 
electrified  suburban  lines,  then  this  tendency  to  move  away  from 
the  congested  centers  can  be  made  to  contribute  toward  that 
density  of  trafiic  which  will  make  rapid  transit  hnes  possible. 

Assuming  a  continuous  growth  in  population  in  the  Pitts- 
burgh District  equal  to  the  past  record  and  further  that  the 
earnings  from  transportation  will  increase  as  the  square  of  popu- 
lation, as  has  been  demonstrated  in  neariy  all  large  communities, 
then  Pittsburgh  should  be  ready   for   the    completion   of   the 
first  section  of  a  subway  system  by  the  time  that  oi-^jnanly 
has  been  taken  in  other  cities  to  locate,  plan,  finance,  bmld  and 
equip  a  transit  facility  of  this  magnitude.    In  other  words,  the 
efforts  to  secure  a  subway  system  for  Pittsburgh  should  be  con- 
tinuous, for  the  density  of  traffic  which  is  naturally  increasing 
added  to  the  additional  traffic  which  the  subway  system  will 
create  and  attract  will  be  sufficient  to  justify  the  investment  in 
a  subway  svstem  constructed  along  the  lines  advocated  by  the 
time  this  improvement  can  be  culminated.    To  place  the  exact 
estimate  upon  the  length  of  time  it  may  take  to  promote  and  build 
a  subway  in  Pittsburgh  is  as  difficult  as  to  prophesy  exactly  when 
Pittsburgh  will  be  ready  for  this  subway,  but  as  an  expression 
of  opinion  is  asked,  this  period  is  put  at  about  ten  years  from 
date  or  about  1920. 

6.     What  should  be  the  financial  policy  in  promoting 
rapid  transit?     To  build  with  private  capital  or  city  credit? 
To  assess  the  cost  on  the  districts  benefitted?    To  anticipate 
needs  and  influence  the  character  of  the  city's  growth  or  to 
await  developments  and  build  to  relieve  congestion? 
Private  capital  will  probably  take  more  interest  in  promot- 
ing subways  than  if  the  enterprise  is  left  to  the  City.    The  steam 
roads  will  be  slow  in  adopting  electrification  unless  encouraged  by 
the  possibility  of  securing  a  downtown  subsurface  terminal. 
The  best  solution  at  present;  apparently,  would  be  to  encourage 
private  capital  to  make  its  best  offer  for  building  the  subways 


146      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM. 


on  the  basis  of  an  indeterminate  franchise,  reserving  the  right  to 
the  City  to  purchase  the  system  and  to  control  the  service.  A 
fund  to  amortize  the  cost  of  construction  out  of  earnings  should  be 
provided,  and  it  should  be  understood  that  outlying  surface 
lines  and  electrified  steam  roads  could  use  the  tracks  in  the 
subway  by  paying  an  equitable  compensation.  In  the  meantime 
legislation  should  be  secured  so  that  the  City  can  lend  its  credit 
to  the  building  of  subways,  and  then  the  City  will  be  in  a  posi- 
tion to  make  a  good  bargain  for  the  subsurface  rights  or  proceed 
to  build  the  subway  with  its  own  money  and  lease  it  to  some 
company  for  operation. 

I  have  not  had  an  opportunity  to  study  the  possibilities  of 
assessing  the  cost  of  the  subway  in  those  portions  of  the  District 
directly  benefitted,  but  if  the  subway  is  used  as  suggested  in 
connection  with  the  electrified  steam  lines  and  the  present  trolley 
system,  it  will  probably  be  impracticable  to  work  out  an  equitable 
assessment  under  these  circumstances. 

If  City  Planning  and  Transportation  developments  are  to  go 
hand  in  hand,  then  the  growth  of  the  City  and  District  should  be 
anticipated  by  its  transit  facilities. 

7.     For  comprehensive  rapid   transit  which  is  better, 
through  routes  or  loops?     Universal  five  cent  fare  or  zone 
system  of  fare?     Train  operation  or  single  cars?     Compe- 
tition or  a  system  of  transfers  between  surface  lines  and 
rapid  transit  systems? 
Through  routes  are  as  a  rule  better  than  loops  in  serving 
a  community  consisting  of  a  business  center  connected  with  radi- 
ating outlying  districts. 

The  zone  system  of  fares  is  the  practice  almost  universally 
adopted  in  Europe,  but  in  America,  our  trolley  systems  have 
been  developed  largely  by  the  use  of  a  universal  five  cent  fare. 
To  change  this  practice  and  introduce  a  zone  system  of  fares 
may  be  possible  and  even  desirable,  but  not  before  the  railway 
system  has  been  brought  under  competent  and  efficient  public 
.control  so  that  the  public  can  be  assured  that  it  is  receiving  back 
in  service  a  fair  proportion  of  the  passenger  income. 

Cars  in  trains  will  be  found  most  efficient  in  connection  with 
rapid  transit  lines  such  as  subways  and  electrified  steam  lines, 
as  train  operation  in  the  only  way  to  develop  sufficient  car  mile 
capacity  to  justify  the  investment  in  such  lines. 

Competition  in  connection  with  public  utilities  is  now  gen- 
erally recognized  as  a  poor  civic  policy.  The  dupUcation  of 
equipment  and  of  management  in  serving  any  District  with  trans- 


CITY  PLANNING 


147 


portation  should  be  avoided,  and  where  one  system  can  be  oper- 
ated more  efficiently  than  another,  then  a  plan  of  transfers  should 
be  worked  out  in  such  a  way  that  each  system  can  be  operated 
at  its  most  efficient  density.  This  can  be  done  in  Pittsburgh 
by  developing  the  comprehensive  plan  for  transportation  in  such 
a  way  that  the  surface  trolley  system  will  be  used  in  collecting 
and  distributing  passengers  in  a  more  or  less  local  way,  while 
longer  haul  patrons  will  be  furnished  with  rapid  transit  by  elec- 
trified steam  lines  using  the  subway  for  interconnections  through 
the  downtown  district,  and  this  entire  system  should  be  tied 
together  by  a  convenient  transfer  arrangement. 

Constant  Growth  Necessary. 

A  Community  or  District  may  be  said  to  resemble  a  living 
organism.  "That  such  a  conception  is  popularly  held  is  shown 
by  the  common  phrases,  the  "heart"  of  the  city  representing 
the  business  center,  the  "arteries"  of  traffic  representing  the 
streets,  the  "lungs"  of  the  city  representing  the  parks,  and 
to  carry  the  simile  further,  the  railroad  depots  and  wharves 
may  be  called  the  "mouths"  through  which  the  city  is^fed  and 
the  telephone  and  telegraph  fines  its  "nervous  system."*" 

Like  all  living  organisms,  growth  must  be  continuous  or  decay 
will  begin.    Further  it  has  been  found  that  the  larger  the  City, 
the  greater  is  the  activity  of  its  individual  units.    The  demand 
for  transportation  increases  about  as  the  square  of  the  population. 
Property  values  also  increase  at  a  much  faster  rate  than  does 
the  population,  and  it  is  a  question  whether  or  not  the  expendi- 
ture of  money  for  municipal  purposes  and  improvements  should 
not  increase  by  at  least  the  square  of  the  population.    Taxation 
for  municipal  purposes  depends  on  land  values  and  land  values  are 
seriously  affected  by  good  or  bad  transportation  facilities.    The 
total  amount  of  money  expended  for  transportation  is  about 
equal  in  amount  to  that  collected  for  taxes.    Transportation, 
therefore  is  not  only  equally  as  important  as  all  other  municipal 
problems,  but  it  directly  controls  the  amount  that  can  be  expended 
for  civic  improvements. 

City  Plan  Depends  Upon  Public  Control. 

There  can  be  no  "city  plan"  without  a  comprehensive 
transportation  policy— in  fact,  it  might  be  reasoned  that  the 
transit  facilities  should  be  planned  first. 

* R.  M.  Hurd  in  "Principles  of  City*Land  Values." 


t 


148      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM. 


11 


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' 


There  can  be  no  transportation  plan  unless  there  is  an 
effective  control  of  the  transit  developments,  and  there  will  be  no 
grasp  of  the  situation  until  this  control  has  been  established  in 
such  a  way  as  to  fulfill  the  following  requirements : 

1.  This  control  should  be  based  upon  the  principles  of  1st 
securing  adequate  service  and  of  2nd,  the  establishment  of  a 
rate  of  fare  which  will  protect  actual  investment  Urban  trans- 
portation is  a  natural  monopoly — investment  in  an  established 
system  which  suitably  covers  a  territory  should  therefore  be 
secure  from  competition,  but  only  at  the  price  of  insured 
good  service. 

2.  This  control  should  be  comprehensive  enough  to  cover 
the  entire  Pittsburgh  District — should  have  sufficient  power  to 
lay  out  a  general  plan  for  the  entire  community  and  be  charged 
with  the  responsibility  of  the  details  of  development. 

3.  This  control  should  issue  permits  for  extensions,  pass 
upon  the  financial  arrangements  for  future  betterments  and  addi- 
tions, approve  the  technical  details  of  rehabilitation  and  improve- 
ments, supervise  the  operation  of  the  system  including  the  wages 
of  officers  and  employees  and  audit  the  record  of  results. 

4.  This  control  should  be  authorized  to  specify  the  rate  of 
return  on  the  actual  investment,  the  basis  of  the  value  of 
the  transportation  property,  the  rates  of  fare  to  be  charged,  and 
the  amount  of  funds  to  be  set  aside  for  insurance,  damages,  de- 
preciation, taxes  and  operating  reserve. 

5.  This  control  should  be  a  public  tribunal  for  the  hearing 
of  complaints,  for  the  investigation  and  prevention  of  accidents 
and  for  anticipating  the  wants  and  adjusting  the  demands  of  the 
community  for  a  well-balanced,  modem,  safe,  comfortable, 
efficient'^and  adequate  transportation  system. 

6.  This  control  should  adjust  the  taxation,  license  fees, 
paving  and  street  cleaning  requirements  for  the  reason  that  all 
burdens  of  this  character  reduce  the  amount  of  service  that  can 
be  secured  for  a  given  fare. 

7.  This  control  should  have  sufficient  power  to  bring  about 
a  combination  of  surface  and  subsurface  facilities  with  the  exist- 
ing steam  or  electric  suburban  lines  so  as  to  produce  a  compre- 
hensive system  of  transportation  for  the  entire  District. 


CITY  PLANNING. 


149 


8.  This  control  should  approve  (before  submission  to  a 
referendum  vote  of  the  community)  the  issuing  of  self-support- 
ing bonds  for  the  securing  of  money  for  the  building  or  buying 
of  subways  and  eventually  for  the  purchase  of  surface  lines.  This 
power  to  purchase  is  advisible  as  an  assurance  of  continuous 
good  service  but  it  should  not  be  exercised  until  it  is  evident 
that  a  material  saving  in  fixed  charges  can  be  effected  by  using 
the  City's  ability  to  borrow  at  a  lower  rate  of  interest  and  after 
some  means  have  been  devised  of  placing  the  spending  of  the 
money  and  the  operation  of  the  road  beyond  the  influence  of 
corrupt  politics. 

9.  This  control  should  be  authorized  to  decide  what  exten- 
sions should  be  made  and  operated  at  a  loss  at  the  expense  of 
the  entire  system  and  of  the  community,  and  what  additions 
should  be  provided  only  on  the  basis  of  an  assessment  on  the  dis- 
tricts directly  benefitted. 

Complete  Public  Control  Essential. 

The  vital  importance  to  the  growth  and  general  prosperity 
of  the  District  of  defining  and  securing  authority  for  some  system 
of  centralized  and  effective  control  of  the  transit  situation  cannot 
be  overestimated.  The  conditions  of  the  tracks  and  the  inade- 
quacy of  the  equipment  of  the  present  system,  and  the  evident 
lack  of  a  policy  for  future  developments  are  sufficient  reasons  for 
the  adoption  of  such  a  plan. 

The  working  out  of  an  effective  plan  is  a  task  in  which  each 
citizen  of  the  community  can  and  should  take  a  part.  The  final 
transportation  arrangements  for  the  District,  and  therefore  its 
desirability  as  a  place  of  residence  and  business  will  depend  upon 
the  measure  of  interest,  intelligence  and  activity  with  which  its 
individual  citizens  give  the  subject  attention. 

Legislation  which  mil  secure  for  the  District  the  complete 
control  of  its  public  utilities,  in  such  a  way  that  private  privileges 
will  not  he  allowed  to  seriously  interfere  with  the  growth  and  pros- 
perity of  the  community  is  the  next  most  important  step  in  solving  the 
problem  of  transportation  which  is  so  fundamental  to  the  progress 
of  the  entire  Pittsburgh  District. 


APPENDICES. 


I 


j 


\ 


APPENDIX— A 


THE  RE-ROUTING  PROBLEM 


Emphasizing  the  importance  of  a  logical,  comprehensive  plan  for 
the  entire  District— Co-operation  between  the  City  and  the 
Company  essential— Present  service— Steps  necessary  to  evolve 
a  satisfactory  re-routing— Basic  data  required— General  prin- 
ciples of  routing— Service  to  be  measured  by  income  avail- 
able—Routing problem  must  receive  continuous  study  and 
co-operation  for  changes  to  be  permanently  effective. 


Fully  as  important  as  the  development  of  a  comprehensive 
plan  for  the  rehabilitation  and  improvement  of  the  physical 
plant  of  the  system  is  the  question  as  to  how,  when  and  where 
to  run  the  cars.  This  is  a  problem  of  such  far-reaching  im- 
portance that  it  should  not,  in  fact,  cannot  be  satisfactorily 
settled  by  any  one  man.  The  President  of  the  Railways  Com- 
pany or  his  officials  cannot  alone  make  the  decisions  without 
exposing  themselves  to  criticism;  and  the  service  cannot  be 
successfully  regulated  by  any  representative  of  the  City  with- 
out the  co-operation  of  the  Railways  Company.  The  problem, 
therefore,  is  one  that  should  be  worked  out  by  means  of  an  official 
conference;  and  until  the  fundamental  principles  of  re-routing 
have  been  determined  and  an  equitable  balance  between  the 
various  interests  has  been  established  in  such  a  way  that  the 
balance  can  be  maintained,  there  can  be  little  real  progress 
made  towards  securing  adequate  service  by  means  of  re-routing. 

Present  Service. 

The  present  routing  is  far  from  satisfactory.  Some  sections 
of  the  city  are  getting  better  service  than  other  sections;  many 
routes  which  should  be  served  with  double  truck  cars  are  still 
being  operated  with  the  small  single  truck  cars,  and  exces- 
sive over-crowding  at  certain  times  of  the  day  exists  on 
some  lines,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  there  are  empty  seats 
which  are  being  run  unnecessarily  at  other  times  and  places. 


154     THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


If    ) 


III 


The  whole  system  of  routing  is  the  result  of  more  or  less  hap- 
hazard development  rather  than  the  outcome  of  a  careful 
design.  The  growth  has  been  influenced  to  a  certain  extent  by 
special  interests,  which  have  been  favored,  not  so  much  on 
account  of  influence  as  through  insistence,  until  the  entire  rout- 
ing system  may  be  said  to  be  out  of  balance. 

To  Improve  the  Routing  on  a  permanent  basis,  the  following 
steps  are  suggested: 

1.  Determine  the  relation  that  should  exist  between  In- 
come and  Service  by  agreeing  that  a  certain  percentage  of  the 
gross  earnings  from  operation  shall  be  used  in  giving  service; 
the  balance  to  be  retained  by  the  Company  for  fixed  charges 
and  profits. 

2.  Study  the  requirements  of  each  section  of  the  City  and 
District  and  the  physical  difficulties  to  be  contended  with. 

3.  Establish  the  principles  of  routing  that  will  result  in 
the  most  economical  distribution  of  the  car  miles  available  with 
a  given  income. 

4.  Provide  a  system  for  the  recording  and  the  checking  of 
schedules,  delays  and  accidents.  These  records  should  be 
constantly  used  for  improving  the  service  and  should  be  public. 

5.  Make  provision  for  extending  and  altering  the  tracks 
and  routes  to  take  care  of  constantly  growing  and  shifting 
demands. 

It  will  be  decidedly  ineffective  work  to  approach  the  re- 
routing part  of  the  transportation  problem  without  an  equip- 
ment for  securing  the  information  needed  as  well  as  a  definite 
understanding  that  a  comprehensive  plan  is  to  be  developed, 
which  will  be  acceptable  to  and  accepted  by  the  majority  of 
interests  affected. 


Data  Required  for  Routing:  Problem. 

Any  rearrangement  of  routes,  to  be  of  permanent  benefit, 
must  be  based  on  facts  and  not  on  assumptions.  Among  the 
records  which  should  be  available  to  those  charged  with  the 
responsibility  of  working  out  an  improved  schedule  are  the 
following: 


RE-ROUTING 


155 


1  Monthly  Records  of  the  number  of  Passengers,  number 
of  Car  Miles  and  Earnings  per  Car  Mile  on  each  route  for 
several  past  years. 

2  Continuous  DaUy  Records  showing  the  earnings  of  each 
car  on  each  route,  the  total  number  of  passengers  earned  by 
each  car  and  the  actual  time  of  each  trip  as  compared  to  the 
scheduled  time. 

3  The  Physical  Limitations  of  each  route  showing  length 
of  line  curves,  width  of  streets,  obstructions  at  corners, 
distance  between  tracks,  overhead  obstructions,  grades,  termi- 
nal facilities  and  connections  with  other  routes. 

4  The  Present  Schedule  showing  the  number  of  cars 
scheduled  at  different  times  of  the  day  for  summer  and  winter 
service,  and  the  time  required  for  each  run  during  rush  hours 
and  non-rush  hours. 

5  The  Location  of  Car  Houses  and  Storage  Tracks  and  a 
statement  of  the  dead  mileage  which  the  present  arrangement 
entails  in  running  empty  cars  to  and  from  the  ends  of  their 
routes  when  placed  in  or  taken  out  of  service. 

6  Records  of  Counts  of  Passengers  and  Seats  which  have 
been  made  from  time  to  time  by  the  City  and  by  the  Company 
at  various  checking  stations. 

7  Records  of  Individual  Car  Trips  which  have  been  made 
and  which  ought  to  be  made  to  ascertain  when  the  Passengers 
board  the  car,  how  far  they  travel  and  when  they  alight,  and 
the  ratio  between  the  maximum  number  of  passengers  using 
the  car  on  a  given  one-way  trip  and  the  maximum  number  on 
the  car  at  any  one  time. 

8  A  Study  of  Transfers  showing  the  total  number  and  the 
character  and  size  of  the  transfer  load  at  the  transfer  points. 

9  Record  of  Franchise  Requirements  and  agreements  be- 
tween underlying  companies  which  affect  the  number  and 
location  of  the  cars  on  the  various  lines. 

10.  Copies  of  Working  Agreements  with  operating  men  as 
to  hours  of  work,  tripper  or  swing  back  runs,  etc. 

11  Full  List  of  Car  Equipment,  available,  ordered  and  con- 
templated, with  data  as  to  possible  changes  which  will  allow 
for  double-ended  operation. 


156      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


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RECORD  OF  TRAFFIC  AND  SERVICE  ON  EACH  ROUTE. 

A  monthly  record  is  kept  by  the  Pittsburgh  Railways  Com- 
pany of  the  total  number  of  passengers  reported  on  each  route 
and  the  number  of  revenue  car  miles  operated  over  each  route 
for  the  corresponding  period. 

The  above  diagram  is  a  sample  graphical  record  of  this  infor- 
mation to  which  has  been  added  a  curve  showing  the  passengers 
per  car  mile  for  each  month.  By  means  of  similar  logs  the  total 
passenger  traffic  on  each  route  may  be  compared  month  by  month 
and  year  by  year  and  a  study  may  be  made  of  the  relative  service 
from  time  to  time,  each  route  having  its  own  standard. 

This  ratio  of  total  passengers  per  revenue  car  mile  is  the  best 
measure  of  relative  service,  as  it  takes  into  account  the  effect  of 
transfer  loads,  and  hence  records  maximum  crowding. 


RE-ROUTING 


157 


Principles  of  Routing. 

Before  much  progress  can  be  made  in  re-routing  the  cars, 
an  agreement  will  be  desirable  covering  the  fundamental  princi- 
ples involved,  some  of  which  may  be  outlined  tentatively  as 
follows: 

1.  Measure  of  service  on  any  route  should  take  into 
account  the  ratio  between  the  total  number  of  passengers  in 
the  car  for  the  entire  one  way  trip  and  the  maximum  number 
on  the  car  at  any  one  time.  This  ''loading  factor''  is  different 
for  different  routes,  and  if  the  continuous  records  for  individual 
car  loading  is  to  be  an  indication  of  the  relative  demands  for 
seats,  this  factor  should  be  determined  for  each  route  and  used 
intelligently. 

2.  To  determine  whether  any  part  of  the  system  should  be 
in  a  through  line  or  on  a  transfer  route,  the  demand  for  seats 
during  the  rush  hour  on  that  line  should  be  sufficient  to  call  for 
say  six  large  cars  per  hour;  otherwise  it  will  probably  be  found, 
that  better  service  may  be  supplied  by  a  small  car  operating 
more  frequently  in  a  shuttle  service. 

3.  There  may  be  routes  or  lines  upon  which  shuttle  service 
might  be  provided  to  the  best  advantage  at  all  times  except 
during  rush  hours,  when  ''through"  cars  can  be  provided. 

4.  Transfers  are  not  a  hardship  if  the  passengers  get  some- 
thing in  return  to  compensate  them  for  the  inconvenience  of 
transfer— for  instance  more  frequent  service  in  large  comfort- 
able cross  seat  cars  for  at  least  part  of  the  ride. 

5.  The  small  single  truck  cars  should  be  operated  on  the 
hills,  and  on  cross  town  transfer  lines,  but  should  be  kept  out  of 
the  terminal  district  and  off  the  main  thoroughfares. 

6.  In  the  down  town  district,  the  long  haul  routes  should 
make  use  of  the  short  loops  and  the  short  haul  routes  should 
use  the  long  loops,  as  the  long  haul  passengers  will  walk 
further  to  get  a  seat  than  the  short  haul  passengers. 

7.  Through  routing  can  be  established  gradually,  by  first 
connecting  the  short  haul  routes  on  different  sides  of  the  city 
in  such  a  way  as  to  form  through  routes,  and  as  these  first 
routes  prove  successful,  more  through  routes  may  be  added. 

8.  Transfers  should  be  given  in  an  effort  to  cut  out  useless 
car  miles  and  by  concentrating  traffic  on  through  routes  secure 
the  efficiency  that  comes  with  the  most  efficient  traffic  density. 

9.  If  it  can  be  agreed  that  the  service  to  be  supplied  is 
measured  by  the  income,  then  the  one  city,  one  fare  principle 


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158      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 

and  a  very  liberal  transfer  policy  can  be  adopted,  and  there 
will  be  no  question  as  to  whether  or  not  the  patrons  of  the 
system  will  get  back  in  service  their  share  of  the  fare. 

The  working  out  of  the  whole  problem  of  routing,  therejore, 
starts  with  determining  definitely  how  much  of  the  income  is  available 
for  service,  then  how  many  car  miles  this  appropriation  will  supply, 
and  finally  what  disposition  of  this  service  will  best  supply  the  de- 
mands for  seats. 

This  program  presupposes  that  the  records  of  the  present 
routing  and  service  will  be  available,  that  the  results  of  a  com- 
plete system  of  checking  future  operations  will  be  made  public 
and  that  there  will  be  a  continuous  and  effective  co-operation 
between  the  Company  and  the  City  in  considering  and  carrying 
out  the  proposed  changes  and  eventual  improvements. 

COUNT  OF  PASSENGERS  ON  INDIVIDUAL  CARS. 

Each  route  has  its  own  characteristics  which  are  determined 
largely  by  the  length  of  the  route  and  where  the  passengers  get 
on  and  off  the  cars.  Before  deciding  upon  the  number  of  cars 
required  to  supply  the  demand  upon  any  route,  it  is  best  to  have 
counts  made  of  the  passengers  upon  a  number  of  individual  cars. 
A  graphical  log  of  such  a  record  is  shown  by  the  opposite  diagram. 

This  kind  of  record  will  indicate  at  once  where  the  maximum 
load  is  to  be  expected,  and  the  relation  between  the  maximum  and 
the  total  number  of  passengers  using  the  car.  For  instance,  in 
this  case,  it  will  be  seen  that  there  were  105  cash  fares  and  8 
transfers  or  a  total  of  113  passengers,  whereas  the  maximum 
load  on  the  car  was  only  88  passengers,  equal  to  77*^0  of  the  total 
number  entering  the  car,  this  percentage  being  due  to  the  fact 
that  a  number  of  passengers  left  the  car  before  others  got  on  so 
that  the  car  was  ''used"  1.28  times. 

This  characteristic  of  each  route  can  be  determined  and 
used  effectively  to  ascertain  directly  from  the  Conductors'  re- 
ports whether  or  not  the  car  service  on  any  route  should  be 
changed  and  how  much.  This  kind  of  record  will  also  be  useful 
in  determining  the  allowable  amount  for  standing  in  percentage 
of  the  seats  supplied,  as  the  diagram  shows  at  once  the  length  of 
the  route,  the  average  length  of  ride  of  all  the  passengers,  and  the 
size  and  extent  of  the  standing  load.  If  the  standing  load  per- 
sists for  a  considerable  distance,  the  inconvenience  is  greater 
than  for  a  short  period  and  the  accommodations  in  the  form  of 
seats  should  be  therefore  more  liberal. 


RE-ROUTING 


159 


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160     THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 

PASSENGER   COUNTS  ON   INDIVIDUAL  ROUTES. 

The  study  of  traffic  for  any  route  requires  among  other 
things  a  passenger  count  from  a  single  observation  point  through- 
out an  entire  day.  Counts  made  in  the  terminal  district  on  all 
routes  will  show  in  general  the  same  characteristic-^crowding 
durmg  morning  and  evening  rush  hours  with  lean  hours  inter- 
vening, however  the  peculiarities  of  traffic  on  the  various  routes 
can  only  be  brought  out  by  individaul  counts,  such  as  the  typical 
one  here  presented. 

This  diagram  represents  an  18  hour  count  on  the  East  Liberty 
Express  route  at  Liberty  Avenue  and  Eleventh  street  near  Union 
Depot.  It  is  reproduced  from  the  record  of  local  traffic,  made 
November,  1909,  under  the  direction  of  John  P.  Fox.  It  shows 
(1)  number  of  cars  run,  (2)  comparative  headway,  (3)  seating 
capacity,  (4)  passenger  load,  (5)  standing  load,  and  (6)  trailers. 
The  solid  black  outside  the  40  seat  line  indicates  the  standing 
load,  the  dotted  lines  inside,  the  seated  load.  Both  outbound 
and  inbound  counts  are  recorded,  the  former  above  the  axis, 
the  latter  below. 

This  particular  route  was  selected  as  it  was  the  only  "Express" 
route  and  its  cars  therefore  take  on  very  little  additional  load 
enroute  after  leaving  Union  Station  outbound  and  vice  versa, 
receive  little  extra  load  inbound.  One  car  count  on  this  route 
showed  that  only  8%  additional  passengers  were  taken  on  after 
leaving  the  business  district,  while  on  other  routes  the  initial 
load  increased  as  much  as  50  to  125  percent  and  in  one  case  150 
percent,  the  average  over  the  entire  city  being  about  26  percent. 

Although  this  count  was  made  on  Saturday,  it  is  fairly 
representative  of  the  normal  inbound  business  traffic  in  the 
morning  hours  combined  with  a  heavy  outbound  afternoon  traffic. 

This  study  shows  neither  the  best  nor  the  worst  in  regard 
to  duration  of  overload  conditions  in  Pittsburgh.  For  example, 
other  counts  as  follows:  Route  901— Wylie  &  Bedford  Avenue,' 
outbound  April  16th,  1910,  showed  a  continuous  standing  load 
from  11:20  A.  M.  until  midnight;  Route  403— Homestead  & 
Wilmerding,  April  9th,  1910,  showed  a  continuous  standing  load 
inbound  from  10:00  A.  M.  until  10:00  P.  M.  and  outbound  from 
noon  until  midnight. 

Similar  studies  for  all  lines  should  be  made  from  time  to 
time  in  order  to  determine  how  far  the  schedules  are  adhered 
to  and  to  what  extent  they  are  adequate  to  meet  the  needs  of 
the  traffic. 


RE-ROUTING 


161 


s    % 


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mm 


162     THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


RE-ROUTING    PLAN    DOWNTOWN    DISTRICT    PROPOSED    BY 

PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS  CO. 

This  plan  was  presented  to  City  Councils  Nov.  28,  1910  in  connection  with  certain 
proposed  ordinances  granting  the  Railways  Company  rights  over  additional  streets 
necessary  for  its  establishment.  It  is  drawn  to  the  same  scale  as  the  present  routing 
plan  on  the  opposite  insert  to  facilitate  study  and  comparison  of  important  features  such 
as  volume  of  traffic,  car  interferences,  long  and  short  loops,  walking  distances,  depot 
service,  transfer  and  loading  points,  emergency  routing,  etc. 


I 


ROUTING     MAP 

MAX.  CARS  PER  HOUR  FOR  iTa28-l9J0 

ACCOMPANVInC  TMt  RCPORT  or 

BION  JLARNOLD 

ON    THE 

PITTSBURGH  TRACTION  PROBLEM 

TO    HON. WILLIAM  AMAGETC 

MAYOR  OF  PrrTSBURGH 


RUSH  HOUR  CAR  MOVEMENT— PRESENT  ROUTING  AND  WINTER  SCHEDULE— DOWNTOWN  TERMINAL  DISTRICT. 

This  diagram,  by  means  of  shaded  lines  varying  in  width  with  the  number  of  cars  on  each  street  during  one  rush  hour,  shows  the  amount  and  location  of  the 
congestion  in  the  downtown  district.  The  system  of  turning  back  the  cars  on  the  various  routes  in  the  downtown  business  center  is  by  means  of  loops  with  no 
stub  end  terminals  except  one  at  the  Union  Depot.  This  loop  routing  results  in  many  conflicting  crossings  at  street  intersections  on  account  of  the  converging 
layout  which  was  brought  about  by  the  two  systems  of  streets  developing  parallel  to  the  rivers.  The  maximum  number  of  cars  scheduled  to  leave  the  downtown 
section  of  Pittsburgh  is  598  per  hour. 


1] 

I'! 


cjiAiwioi^r 


CJTY 


SCALE  or   SCATS 


9900 
t  soo 


RUSH  HOUR  SEATS 

PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS  Co. 

ACCOMPANYING  TMC  REPORT  Of 

BION  J.  ARNOLD 


PITTSBURGH  TRACTION  PROBLEM 

TO    HON.WILLIAM  A.MAGEE 

MAYOR   OF  PITTSBURGH 


RUSH  HOUR  SEATING  CAPACITY— PRESENT  ROUTING  AND  WINTER  SCHEDULE— ENTIRE  SURFACE  SYSTEM. 

The  relative  widths  of  the  lines  indicate  the  number  of  seats  scheauled  one  way  on  each  route  during  a  rush  hour.  The  main  lines  and  the  branch  lines  are 
plainly  shown.  The  total  number  of  seats  due  to  leave  the  central  business  district  at  **  The  Point ' '  and  on  the  North  Side  is  23,942  during  the  peak  hour  of  the 
evening  rush.  This  diagram  shows  where  these  seats  go  and  how  the  system  is  routed  on  the  "direct  "  principle,  with  most  of  the  cars  running  from  the  center 
of  the  city  to  the  outlying  districts  with  very  few  cross  town  lines. 


.(    i 


STANDING  LOAD -RUSH  HOUR 

PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS  Co. 

ACCOMPANYIN6  THE  BEPOHT   OT 

BION  J.  ARNOLD 

ON  THE 

RTTSBURGH  TRACTION  PROBLEM 
TO  HON.  WILLIAM  A.  MAGEE 
MAYOR  OF  PITTSBURGH 


MAP  SHOWING  RUSH  HOUR  STANDING  LOAD— PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS  COMPANY. 
This  diagram  shows  the  amount  and  extent  of  the  standing  load  on  winter  schedule  for  the  afternoon  rush  hour.      It  represents  the  most  favorable  conditions — 
the  counts  being  made  in  April  after  a  number  of  new  cars  were  added.      This  date  was  furnished  by  Mr.  John  P.  Fox,  the  city's  traffic  expert.      The  map  is  drawn 
to  the  same  scale  as  the  map  showing  seats  scheduled  in  winter,  but  in  making  comparisons  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  standing  as  shown  here  is  less  than 
in  mid-winter,  while  the  number  of  seats  actually  furnished  has  been  found  on  most  lines,  to  be  considerably  less  than  those  scheduled. 


'■■iff  I 


r*  * 


ROUTE    101 

SPRING   GARDCN   AVE, 


«<"or»«i 


ROUTE  103 
MILLVALE 


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OIX 


ROUTE    104 
MONT.  EMSWORTH  A  AVALON 


LIST  OF    COUNTS 


NO 

DATE. 

MAOC  ar 

, 

IJ8-10 

JOHN  p  rox 

1»  »|  -  o» 

If     1  -  0* 

10-1    09 

POulCt    OtPT 

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4     «-  10 

JOHN  P  FOX 

K>-  <   oa 

POLICE.  Dt-PT 

4     I  1     10 

jomh  p  ro» 

Oft 

roPO  ■•cowiowii 

ROUTE    106 

PERRY5VILLE    AVE.,     • 
•  •      > 

"       ,  uraic       t 

!   tcdi — =tZla 

s 


SCALt   or   StATS 

AND   PASSCNGtRS 


I  400 

1  300 

^oo 

100 


pt«p»»vn.i.i;  *ift 


OHIO  I  CMURCn    SAiOCC  7Tn      $Th 

sjucusxr  ouauciic 

<      AXOCRSON  ufCRTV 


• 

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• 
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< 

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W                 , J 

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«4  a«M<ftr«  SLAV* 


l£-»»M-3S«    TOTA4.   lOOAMA** 


5CALL  OF    PROF  ILLS 
HOWtZONTAL       o    Kioo^ooo        -ooo 

VERTICAL 


r  •  »*«    TOTAi.   m24  SCATS 


ROUTE  PROFILES 

WITH  TIME  AND  SEATING  CAPACITY 

ACCOMPANYING  THf  REPORT  Of 

BION  J.  ARNOLD 

ON    THE 

PITTSBURGH  TRACTION  PROBLEM 

TO  HON.WILLIAM  A.  MAGEE 

MAVDR  OF  PITTSBURGH 


ROUTE  PROFILES— TIME  SCHEDULE— SEATING  CAPACITY. 

In  re-routing  studies,  an  accurate  conception  of  the  individual  characteristics  of  each  route  is  necessary.  This  diagram  is  typical  of  the  data  required 
for  such  routing  studies.  It  shows  for  each  line  (a)  the  map  or  plan ;  (b)  the  profile  or  elevations  with  ruling  grades ;  (c)  time  schedule,  both  published 
and  actual ;  (d)  scheduled  seats ;  (e)  typical  car  counts  with  standing  loads ;  (f)  typical  route  counts ;  (g)  possible  transfer  points.  These  exhibits  have 
been  worked  out  for  the  most  important  routes  in  operation. 


DAMAGED   PAGE(S) 


Route 
Number 

101 

102 

102-4 

103 

104 

104 

104 

105 

105-8 

106 

loe-i 

107 

108 

108-5 

109 

110 

111 

111-i 

112 

113 

114 

115 

114-i 

115-i 

116 

122 

123 

125 

126 

201 

202 

202-3 

204 

205 

206 

207 

208 

209 

210 

211 

213 

213-A 

301 

302 

303 

304 

305 

305-A 

306 

307 

307-A 

310 

312 

313 

314 

815 

316 

817 

818 

401 

402 

403 

404 

407 

408 

409 

410 

411 

413 

413 

501 

502 

503 

503-A 

504 

606 

510 

518 

621 

625 

601 

602 

602 

605 

702 

702 

703 

704 

705 

706 

708 

711 

712 

714 

716 

7 16- A 

801 

801-i 

802 

803 

805 

806 

807 

901 

902 

903 

1001 

1001-i 

1002 

1003 

1004 

1101 

1102 

1103 

1104 

1202 

1301 

1302 

1303 

1304 

1305 


NUMBER.  CLASS  AND  SEATING  CAPACITY  OF  CARS  OPERATED  ON  ENTIRE  SYSTEM  OP  PITTSBURGH  RAILWAYS  COMPANY  BETWEEN  5  AND  6  P.  M.  BASED  ON  JANUARY 

SCHEDULES  AND  DAILY  MILEAGE  REPORTS  OP  FEBRUARY  2l8t  1910. 


LENGTH  AND  CLASS  OF  CARS. 


Name  in  Full 


>    •••••    ••    ■ 

•    ••••••• 


Scheduled  4' 

6 
8 


Spring  Garden 

£tnsi.  •• ...••.. 

Pittsburg  and  Butler     

Millvale  .,.....••••••<•••• 

High  Bridge 

Avalon  and  Bmsworth 

Avalon.  •• 

Bellevue. « . « «...••.•••••• 

Bellevue-West  View 

Perrysville  Ave. 
PerrysviUe  to  Charles  St. 

Brighton  Road 

East  St.  and  Madison  Ave 

West  View-Bellevue. . . 

Charles  St. ••• 

Charles  Street  Transfer 

Troy  Hill ........•.•.•••••••••• 

Troy  Hill  via  N.  Ave.  and  Bast  St 

Rebecca  Street. ......•••••      8 

Penn  via  Union ..•••..      3 

Western  Avenue •.•••    15 

Union  Line  to  Woods  Run wy  V  cl    *® 

Un  Bridge,  Manchester  Bam  via  BidweU&t  . . . 
Un.Line  to  W  Run  via  Fulton.  Franklin  bt«  . . . 

Exposition  Park-old  B.  B.  grounds 

Superior  and  Shady  Ave.  Transfer 3 

Spring  Hill  Transfer 6 

Nunnery  Hill ;"*A*'i •*•*"* 

Pitts. .  Harmony,  Butler,  New  Castle. . 


««••••••       •••       ••••••••• 

!»••••••••      ••      ••      ••      • 

»•••••■       ••       ••••••••• 

•  •••••••• 

^••••••••'«       ••••••• 

•      •••••••••• 

•  •      •     • 


8 
5 
5 

10 
5 
5 

24 

•  • 

8 

10 

10 

8 

6 

10 


3   . 


3* 

6   .. 
2   .. 

»    •  •        •   • 

1    .. 
5   .. 

>  •  •  •  • 

I  «  •  •  • 

•  •  •  •  • 

>  •  •  •  • 

24    .. 

»    •  •        «    • 

1    .. 

8   .. 

I   •  •       •   • 

5  .. 

6  .. 
10   .. 

I    •  •       •   • 

8   .. 

•  ■       •   • 

•  •       •   • 

10   .. 


•  •       • 

•  •       • 


4*  11'  11*3209  JS  3554 

•  •    •  •    •        •   • 

V       •    •  •    •        •    • 

•  •    •  •    •         •    • 

/        •    •  «    •         •    • 


V    .-;  Trailers 


on      17'     19' 20^21' 21' 27' ^y  29^3200  §  3600  §      |     g    J   19' Ty 


0-*      CO 


4'    24 


28       30 

168    ... 

56   ... 


38 


SEATING  CAPACITY. 

Trailers 
42     46  47     48     49    58     64     26       28 


3 
3 
3 


2 
2 
2 


5 

>  • 

3 


•  •  •  ■  •  • 

•  •  •  • 

•  •  ••  ••   •• 

•  •  ••  ••   •• 

•  •  ••  ■■   •• 


5  .. 

6  .. 


•  •   •  «   •  * 

•  •   •  fl   •  • 


3  2 
6  4 


•  •   •  •  •  • 

•  •  •  • 

•  •  •  • 

•  •  •  • 


252 

•  •  •  • 

294 


Total  Mid- 
Seats   Day 
168       12 
308       15 


•  •  • 

•  •  • 


7 

■  • 

4 


•  •   • 


28 

140 

■  •••  ••••   ••••    ^Xv  •  • 

120 252  . . 

•  •  •  •  XOU  ••••  ••••  •• 

■  •  •  •  XOw  ••••   ••••   •• 

672 


•  •   • 

•  •   • 


..   28  210  

..  224   60  

•  •  •  • •  ■   XOU  •  •  •  • 
7^  1411  ••••  •••• 

•  •  IftS   .  •  •  • 
..  280 


210   .. 


•  •  •   •       •   • 

•  •  •   •       •   • 


•  •   • 

•  •   • 


•       •   •  • 


«  •  •  • 

322 

15 

140 

•  •  • 

78 

56 

344 

12 

156 

112 

640 

•  •  • 

150 

•  •  • 

150 

12 

•  •  • 

•  •  •  • 

672 

7.5 

•  •  •  • 

•  •  • 

182 

420 

10 

284 

60 

104 

•  •  •  • 

464 

12 

•      •  •  • 


•  •  •       • 

•«•      ••••       • 

•   •       ••••       ••••       • 


72 


.   15 


•  •       • 

•  •       •   •  < 


•  •       • 

•  •       • 


•  •   • 

•  •   • 

•  •   • 


3   .. 

6  .. 
3 


•       « 


•  •   « 

•  •   • 


7   .. 


224  .. 

■   •  •  •  •   • 

i   •  •  •  •   • 

280  .. 


•  •  •   •       • 

•  •  •   •       • 


•  •  • 

•  •  • 


•  •••••• 


West  Park. 

Oakwood  Park 

Carnegie- Heidelburg 

Crafton-Ingrara 

Crafton-Thombur? 

Mt.  Washington  via  West  End. 

Elliott-Sheraden ^  •  •  •  •  • 

Island  Avenue  and  McKees  Rocks. 

Coraopolis • 

P.  &  L.  E.  Transfer 


>  m    •   •    •    • 


6 
6 
8 
4 
4 
4 

20 
6 
6 
4 
1 

10 
8 

10 
2 

24 
4 

15 
3 
6 


•  •       • 

•  •        • 


1 
4 
1 


4 

20 

3 

2 


6 
8 

4 
4 


•  •       •  •  •  •  • 

•  •       •  •  •  •  • 

•  •  «  ■  • 

•  •  •  •  • 

•  •  •  •  • 

•  •  •  •  • 


o4     •  • 

168  .. 


•  •  •  •  • 

•  •  •  •  • 

•  •  •  •  • 

••      ••••       ••••       ••  ••  • 

••       ••••       ••••       ••  ••  ■ 

••      «•••       ••••       ••  •• 

••   ••••   ••••   ••  ••  • 

•  •   ••••   ••••   ••  ••  • 

••   ••••   ••■•   ••  ••  • 

•  •   ••••   ••••   ••  ••  • 

••   ••••   ••••   ••  ••  • 

•  •   ••••   cet*   ••  •«  • 
««   ••■•   ••••   ••  ••  ■ 

I  •  •   •  •  •  •  • 


•  •  •  • 

•  •  •  • 


•  •  •  • 


•  •   •  • 


720 


182  .... 


•  ••   •••   ••   • 

•  ••   •••   ••   • 

•  ••   •••   ••   • 


3 


•  •     ■  •   •  • 

•  •     •  •   •  • 


2  1 


'  •  •  • 

•  •  • 


•  •  •  •  • 


10 

12 

5 

4 

•  • 

3 

1 
6 
8 
6 
6 
4 
4 
4 
4 

*i 

4 
4 
4 
9 
3 
3 
4 
3 
21 


2 

4 


10 
8 

10 
2 

24 
4 

15 
3 
6 

12 
5 
8 

10 
5 


•  ••  ••  ••  ••  •* 

•  *•  ••  ••  ••  •• 

•  ••  ••  ••  ••  •• 

•  ••  ••  ••  ••  ** 


•  •   •  • 

•  •   •  • 


4 


3 

1 
6 

8 
6 
6 

•  • 

4 
4 
4 


•  •  •   •  • 

•  •  •   •  • 


•  •  ••  ••  ••  ••  •• 

•  •  ••  ••  ••  ••  ■* 

•  •  ••  ••  ••  •*  ** 

«•  ••  ••  ••  ••  ** 


•  •  • 

•  •  • 


•  •   • 


•  •   • 

•  •   • 


•  •     •  • 


•  •  • 

•  •  • 


Shoenville  Transfer. ... 

Mt  Washington  via  Tunnel 

Shiloh  Street,  Mt.  Washington. . . . 

Carson  Street 

Hays  Station  and  36th  Street  .... 

Knoxville •  •  • 

Mt  Lebanon  and  Castle  Shannon 
Knoxville.  Mt.  Oliver  and  Carrick 

J.  &  L.  Trippers 

Beltzhoover •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  .: 

Arlington  Avenue  and  Union  Depot if 

.11?  ••••••5 

AUentown j.*  •  *4.  •.•-*•••  * 

Carson  St .  via  Tenth  St .  Bridge  .•••;;;! 

Beechview '"".'. 

Brookline • 

_,..  ...... 

Don  Air • 

Sarah  Street  (horse  car) . . 

18th  Street  franchise 

Bell  House 

Carrick- Knoxville 

Glenwood  via  Second  Avenue. . . 

Greenfield  Avenue 

Homestead.  Braddock.  Wilmerding; ] '"^ 

Corey  Avenue • 

McKeesport • • 

Glassport  and  Wilmerding 

M'k't  St.,  McKeesport,  Dravosburg 

Wl'nt St., McKeesport.  Dravosburg;  []'/[ 

Exposition  Loop ::••.•*    *  *    . 

Keating  and  Talbot  Ave.  Braddock;  *"• 

Glenwood  and  Browns  Bridge i  ,  ]  I . , 

Homestead  and  McKeesport !,!!!. 

East  Pittsburg  via  Homestead  ••••[**  |  ]  . 

East  Pittsburgvia  Wiikinsburg. 

Hawkins  via  Wiikinsburg. 

Swissvale,  Rankin  and  Braddock 

Homestead  and  Homeville 

Trippers   '^'  '^" :,%:" -a 

Wilmerding.  Pitcairn.  Traff ordJCity g 

Homestead  via  Shady.  Penn  Aves. ^g 

Library  Street ,? 

Forbes  and  Atwood  Streets |" 

Bloomfield  Loop  via  Penn f" 

Bloomfield  Loop  via  Forbes |" 

Oakland  via  Fifth ^" 

Shady  Avenue  Loop  via  Penn ^ 

Shady  Avenue  Loop  via  Fifth ^ 

Fifth  and  Penn 2 

Penn  Avenue -^ 

Hamilton  Avenue *V 

Prankstown  Avenue ^? 

Wiikinsburg,  Verona  and  Oakmont * 

Shady  Avenue  Transfer °  . 

Wiikinsburg  via  Forbes  Street *     *  ,« 

East  Liberty  Express ^|     ;       4 

Ardmore |«     10 

Ardmore  Tripper *"     5 

Forbes  St.  Ellsworth,  Larimer  Aves. ^     

Forbes  Street.  Neville  and  Larimer 

Euclid  and  St.  Clair 

South  Highland  via  Fifth 

Center  and  Negley  Avenue 

North  Highland  via  Forbes -  - 

Wylie,  Center  and  Lincoln   Avenue xi 

Wylie.  Bedford  and  Herron  Avenue *){ 

Wylie.  Center  and  Larimer  Avenue ^" 

Erin  Street •,  ? 

Sharpsburg  and  Aspinwall 

Allegheny  Valley •  •  i 

Penn  and  Negley  Avenues ** 

Penn  and  Butler  to  Bridge  Street. „  ^  t      j 

Sharpsburg-Etna  transfer *     •*       ■* 

Charleroi « 

Charleroi  (Local  cars) „ 

Donora n 

Lucyville n     ' ' 

Castle  Shannon t     ** 

Tylersdale  to  East  Maiden  Street 5     'A 

Washington  and  Canonsburg  iLocal *       ^ 

Washington  to  Pittsburg h     '  k 

East  and  West  Washington J      J 

Main  Street  and  Locust  Street ^^3     ^  4^3     0  79  U    "i   'i  46  'i     86  33 

Urand  lotai  _        .-»..>,  ^^« 

Grand  Total  Cars. .  .903 


•  •  •   •  • 

•  •  •   •  • 


3 
2 


10 


•  •  •  • 

•  •  •  • 

•  •  •  • 

•  •  •  • 

112 

560 

84 

56 


•  •  •   •  • 


....   76  168  .. 

XoU  • • ■  • 

240 

120 

120 


78 


•  •  •  •   •  •  • 

«  •  •  •   •  •  • 


•  •  • 

•  •  • 


•   •  •  • 


•  •  ••  ••  ••  "w 

•  ■  ••  ••  ••  ** 

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•  •  ••  ••  ••  ** 

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•  •     ••  ••  ••  ••  ** 

•  •     ••  ••  ••  ••  ** 

•  •     ••  ••  ■•  ••  *' 

•  •     ••  ••  •• 


•  • 


24 

96 

24 

...  280 

...  224 

. ..  280 

. . .  56 

. . .  672 

. . .  112 

...  420 

...  84 

. ..  168 

. . .  336 

. ..  140 

48  224 

...  280 
140 


90 


76  42 

»  •  •  •  •  •  • 

•  •  •  •  •  •  • 

•  •  •  •  •  •  • 


•  •  • 

•  •  • 


#0   •  •  •  • 
d^   •  •  •  • 


•  •   • 

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•  •  •  •  •  • 

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•••  ••  •••  •• 

•  ••  ••  •••  •• 

•••  ••  ■••  •• 

•••  «•  •••  •• 


I  •   •  • 

■   m         •  • 


260 


•  •  • 


30 


96 


•  • 


4  •  •  •   •  • 

4  •  •  •   •  • 

..  4  .. 

..  9  .. 

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..  3  .. 

..  4  .. 

..  3  .. 

. .  21  . . 

..  3  .. 

..  12  .. 

..  6  .. 

..  3  .. 

•  •  0.9 

•  •  d   .  • 

. .  10  . . 

•  •  •  •  •   •  • 


•  •  •   •  • 

•  •  •   •  • 

•  •  •   •  • 


2 

•  • 

6 


..  96 
4  ... 


. .  96 
. .  96 

o  •  •  • 
O     •  •  • 


84 
28 
168 
224 
168 
168 

■  •  •  • 

112 
112 
112 

»  •  ■  • 

28 


42 

•  •  • 

•  •  • 


•  •  •  • 

•  •  •  • 

•  •  •  • 


■  •  • 

•  •  • 

•  •  • 

•  •  • 


•  •   •  •  •  ■ 

•  •   •  •  «  • 


•  •  «  • 

•  •  •  • 

a  •  •  • 


112  .... 

252 

04  •  •  •  • 

84 

112 

04  • # • • 

538 

84 

336 

168 

84  210 


•  •  • 

•  •  • 

•  •  • 

•  •  • 


•  •  «   •  • 

•  •  •   •  • 

•  •  •   •  • 


52 

>  •  *  • 

156 

»  •  •  • 
»  •  •  • 


•  •  • 

•  •  • 

•  •  • 


28 


112 


•   •  •  •  • 


84 

84 


84 


•  •   *  •   • 

•  •   •  •   • 


4 

6 


7    6 

5  140  150 

5 :::::.  : 5 ....  i«  iso 

i'*  ^^  •  •  • . 

.  5  1 

.5  

5 5 

o««   ••  ••   ••   **  **  ** 

6  .  .   1  ..   ..   Ill 

8..   2  4   ..   1.... 

112 

*  '.   .   * 168 


•  •  • 

•  •  • 


■  •  ■  • 
•  •  •  • 

240 
240 


156 
130 


•  •  • 
•  « 


• .  .  •  • . 


210 
210 
294 
420 


47  49  58 

.  .   192  .  .   68 


130 


•  •   •  •  •  • 


230 
280 


12 
*7 


168 
504 
168 
420 
210 


336 
"196 


6 

5 

10 

10 


6 


20 
5 
6 


5 

4 
7 


6 


2  4)  •  •  • 


163 


•  •••   •••• 

•  •••   •••« 

•  •  •  • 


10 

•  • 

5 


•  •     •  • 


300 

580  

140  150 
168  


210  .. 
168  .. 
294  .. 


•  •  •  •  • 

•  •  •  •  • 


144 


.  348 


52   84 
. . .  252 


2 


15  .. 

•  •   •  • 


8 


60 


630 

•  •  •  • 

126 


224 


Includ  ed  in  Route  10  01 


56 


2 
2 


48 
48 


42 


48 


2 
6 


48 


60 
150 


84 


1 

i 


96 
96 


64 


212  .10 

168  10 

280  10 

I  •  •  •  •  ■  • 

224  !10 

72  20 

720  8 

462  8 


84   20 

168   20 

84   40 


322 
180 
240 
120 
120 
112 
560 
252 
250 

96 

24 
280 
224 
540 

56 
672 
112 
420 

84 
168 
336 
140 
272 
352 
140 

96 

"84 
28 
168 
304 
168 
324 
96 
224 
112 
112 

•  •  •   • 

28 

96 

96 

196 

336 

84 

84 

196 

84 

588 

84 

336 

168 

450 

290 

420 

280 

240 

240 

340 

210 

728 

950 

112 

168 

168 

840 

168 

616 

210 

•  •  •   • 

163 
346 
768 
438 
300 
560 
290 
168 
854 


20 

"20 
20 
20 
30 
12 
20 
20 
15 

•   •    • 

12 

"6 
30 
10 
30 
10 

'26 
15 

12 
15 
24 
15 


10 
15 
15 
10 
15 
15 
20 


15 
15 
15 
15 
20 
20 
15 
40 

•  •    • 

30 
10 
10 
12 
10 
10 

■    •    • 

14 
14 
14 
14 
12 
7.5 
30 
20 

•  •    • 

10 
15 


20 
14 
10 
14 
12 
6 
12 

•     a      • 

6 


Running  Round 
Headway  Trips      Dead     Route 

From      To     Mins.  Mileage   Mileage  Number 
3-05    0-29      10         5.60        2.32       101 
3-04    6-34        8       12.33        8.74       102 


8 
12 
12 

6 
12 
12 
4-25    6-30    2.5 


3-00  7-00 

6-07  6-19 

3^52  6^27 

4-45  6-31 


3-17  6-07  8 

3-22  6-17  6 

5-12  6-00  6 

4-03  6-47  7.5 

••••  ••••  Xv 

5-22  6-26  6 

3^33  6^25  "8 

20 

6-06  6-00  4 

12-58  8-07  6 


5-20 
3-00 

3-46 
5-00 
2-52 
5-30 
3-00 
2-39 
4-47 
6-00 
6-00 


3-06 
4-30 


3-56 
5-00 
3-41 

•     «    a     • 

3-52 
3-58 
4-22 
3-09 
3-04 
3-06 


20 

6-40      10 
7-00      20 


5-50 
6-00 
7-37 
8-00 
8-00 
7-24 
6-17 
7-00 
7-00 


7-02 
7-42 
6-34 
7-45 
7-10 
7-06 


3-11    6-41 


3-00    8-13 


5-00    6-00 


3-20    9-00 


5-00 
3-30 

2-53 
2-42 
2-42 
3-05 
2-43 
2-43 
2-58 
2-48 
1-54 
3-19 
4-00 
3-51 
4-26 
2-50 


6-00 

8-00 

7-^ 
7-42 
7-42 
6-35 
7-33 
7-33 
8-25 
7-41 
8-12 
6-19 
7-00 
7-56 
6-41 
7-55 


10 
10 

7 
15 
15 
15 

3 
10 
10 
15 


7-36  6 

6-30  8 

a     •    •     •  6 

a     •    ■     •  OU 

7-11  2.5 

6-45  15 

8-05  4 


10 
5 

12 
6 
5 

12 

15 


20 
60 
10 
3-02    6-17    7.5 


10 
10 
15 
15 
15 
15 

60 
15 
15 
15 
7 
20 
20 
15 
20 

'26 

5 

10 

6 

6 

6 

6 

12 

12 

12 

12 

6 

4 

15 

10 

15 

5 

15 


10.28 
9.86 
17.58 
13.96 
13.18 
16.98 
8.93 

»    m    •    •    • 

10.20 
9.13 

15.14 
6.22 
1.25 
5.72 

'5!54 
1.25 
5.93 

8.78 


2.63 
2.22 
4.80 

i6!69 

14;  57 

12.06 

12.92 

9.34 

8.69 

12.55 

24.28 

1.70 

2.14 

7.75 

4.48 

6.75 

4.98 

6.60 

14.18 

13.66 

6.64 
8.13 
4.20 
6.11 
11.66 
9.70 
.70 

i6]28 
3.63 

11.28 
9.54 
9.60 

29.54 
1.30 

16.48 

18.46 
3.02 

■4.67 

1.60 

3.00 

27.49 

26.40 

25.30 

21.17 

20.22 

5.23 


10.90 
11.56 


1 

7. 


.41 

.05 

8.20 

8.47 

5.20 

10.24 

10.24 

14.72 

14.79 

15.74 

16.50 

18.08 

4.56 

14.43 

9.29 

19.09 


3-00 
3-08 
2-20 
4-22 
2-28 
3-14 
5-00 
3-04 
4-34 


7-35 

8-08 
7-27 
6-10 
7-28 
7-20 
6-00 
7-24 
6-34 


186       20        3-05    7-53 


8     1     1     71  79 


56 
90 
48 
48 
60 
84 
150 
48 
64 
96 
96 
.28  048 


30 
30 
30 
30 
30 

•    a     • 

12 
30 
60 

15 
15 


5-30 


10 

12 
6 
6 
6 
3 
6 

10 
4 

•  •   • 

12 

•  •    • 

30 

30 

30 

30 

30 

30 

12 

30 

60 

15 

15 


7.26 
6.02 
1.40 
2.22 
9.90 
12.84 
5.08 

•      a     •      •     • 

5.68 

8.92 

12.84 

.66 

.66 

7.06 


2.56 
'2. 82 

•     •      •     •      a 

2.52 
'3.08 


4.04 
7.22 
7.90 
7.60 
7.22 
3.60 
17.56 

"2!52 
3.96 
2.20 

•   •  •    •  ■ 

1.06 

3.40 

10.38 

.60 

'2.84 
4.46 
.14 
1.06 
7.29 
5.80 
3.60 


.80 
.60 

'e'.is 

'i.9S 

.70 

9.62 

3.16 

5.96 

•    »  9    •   * 

.88 
9.88 
6.38 
6.38 
11.82 
2.14 
4.54 

■     •    a     •    ■ 

5.66 
2.34 
1.56 
2.36 
2.34 
5.40 

t    •  a    •    • 

2.36 
2.36 
8.38 
8.38 
2.86 
3.32 
4.28 
9.34 
3.32 
3.36 
3.32 


14        3-29    7-38      12       11.86        4.62 


3.22 
13.49 
13.27 
12.91 
14.00 

5.06 
11.12 

3.20 
14.67 

i6*.25 

9.75 

.50 

65.24 

24.00 

2.00 

4.84 

12.97 

6.93 

21.00 

58.02 

4.51 

1.90 


7.56 

*7*.66 
1.94 
8.10 

•    •   •   •    • 

9.60 
2.96 
3.56 
3.80 
9.90 

a      •    •      •     a 

9.90 

10.34 

.56 

12.42 

4.48 

3.70 

4.48 


Trailers 150 

ToUl  Motor  Can 753 


103 

104 

104 

104 

105 

105-8 

106 

107 

108 

108-6 

109 

110 

111 

112 
113 
114 
115 


122 
123 
125 

201 

202 

202-3 

204 

205 

206 

207 

208 

209 

210 

211 

213 

213.A 

301 

302 

303  j 

304  I 
305 
305-A 
306 
307 
307-A 
310 
212 
313 
314 

316 
317 
318 
401 
402 
403 
404 
407 
408 
409 

411 

413 

413 

501 

502 

503 

503.A 

504 

506 

510 

518 

521 

525 

601 

602 

602 

605 

702 

702 

703 

704 

705 

706 

708 

711 

712 

714 

716 

716-A 

801 

802 
803 
805 
806 
807 
901 
902 
903 
1001 

1002 

1004 

1101 

1102 

1103 

1104 

1202 

1301 

1302 

1303 

1304 

1305 


Total  Seats   28  048 


APPENDIX  B. 

REVIEW    OF    DEVELOPMENT    IN    PUBLIC    UTILITY    CONTROL. 
With  Special  Reference  to  Street  Railways. 

Sections. 

I.  Comparative  Summary  of  Settlement  Ordinances. 

II.  Traction  Settlement  Ordinances,  page 166 

(a)  Chicago 166 

(b)  Cleveland 168 

(c)  Philadelphia 171 

III.  State  Regulation  by  Commission 172 

IV.  Miscellaneous  Legislative  Acts 175 

V.  Board  of  Public  Utilities,  Los  Angeles.  Cal 176 

VI.  Results  of  Traction  Settlement  Ordinances 177 

This  review  has  been  prepared  to  provide  general  data  as  to  the  scope 
and  powers  of  the  various  legislative  bodies  throughout  the  country  and 
thereby  to  convey  some  impression  of  the  merits  of  the  suggested  means  of 
regulating  traction  development  in  the  Pittsburgh  District  which  the  report 
embodies.  To  present  a  detailed  technical  analysis  of  the  forty-two  State 
Commission  Acts  and  various  other  local  ordinances  would,  oi  course,  be 
here  impracticable;  in  fact,  no  such  comprehensive  analysis  is  yet  available 
from  authoritative  sources  owing  to  the  labor  involved.  However,  it  is 
believed  that  digests  of  the  more  important  Commissions'  Acts  and  brief 
references  to  the  miscellaneous  regulative  Acts  of  the  various  States  will  be 
of  assistance,  indicating  in  a  general  way  the  tendencies  of  the  present 
movement  for  the  control  of  public  utilities.  This  digest  is  therefore  sug- 
gestive rather  than  interpretative,  and  for  more  specific  data  the  original 
acts  should  be  referred  to. 

Of  the  various  state  commission  acts,  New  York  and  Wisconsin  have 
been  selected  as  typical  examples  of  the  more  comprehensive  public  regula- 
tion generally  desired  and  are  digested  in  considerable  detail.  Massachusetts 
and  Pennsylvania  are  covered  in  some  detail  but  the  remaining  states,  only 
by  reference.  Massachusetts  is  a  good  examj)le  of  successful  regulation  of 
corporate  capitalization ;  the  District  of  Columbia  of  the  established  authority 
of  Government  over  licensed  corporations,  Oklahoma  of  the  broadest  con- 
ception of  regulative  authority.  The  miscellaneous  Acts  are  cited  only  on 
paints  of  specific  control.  With  a  few  exceptions,  only  those  commissions 
reporting  jurisdiction  over  street  railways  are  noted  here. 

These  latter  references  to  state  regulative  acts  are  largely  drawn  from 
a  report  on  Public  Utility  Legislation,  compiled  by  Dr.  Robert  H.  Whitten 
of  the  Public  Service  Commission  for  New  York  City  and  from  the  report  of 
a  special  committee  of  the  National  Association  of  Railroad  Commissioners 
on  Powers  and  Duties  of  State  Commissions. 

The  three  traction  ordinances  have  been  summarized  in  parallel  columns 
for  convenience  in  drawing  comparisons;  they  are  also  digested  by  sections 
in  order.  The  results  of  these  city  traction  settlements  are  quoted  from 
various  sources  to  indicate  the  relative  effectiveness  of  the  ordinances  in 
meeting  the  public  viewpoint  as  to  the  production  of  satisfactory  service  at 
a  reasonable  return  to  the  invested  capital. 


iHmm  'ktr'  < 


fit  I 


r,! 

It*    ? 


SECTION    I 


In  force 

1.  Character  of  Grant. 

2.  Duration  of   Grant. 

3.  City's    right    to    pur- 

cnase. 

4.  City's  right  to  license. 

5.  Renewal  of  Grants. 

6.  Publicity  of  Records. 

7.  Audit  of  Company  ac- 

counts. 

8.  Supervisory  Power. 

9.  Regulative  Power. 

10.  Arbitration. 

11.  City's     representation 

on  Directorate. 

12.  Adequate  service. 


13.  Re-routing. 

14.  Total  investment  val- 

ue-basis for  comput- 
ing return. 

15.  Original  physical  val- 

uation. 

16.  Franchise  value. 

17.  Company    return     on 

total  investment. 

18.  Capitalization  of  Com- 

pany. 

19.  City's  share. 

20.  Purpose  of  City's  in- 

come. 

21.  Extensions    and    Bet- 

terments. 

22.  Company    return    on 

Extensions. 

23.  Future    Financing   by 

Company. 

24.  Rehabilitation  by 

Company. 

25.  Reserve  Funds  (%  of 

income) . 


26..     Transfers. 

27.  Fares. 

28.  Operating    Assess- 

ments. 

29.  Operating  Ratio. 

30.  Replacement    or    Re- 

construction. 


COMPARATIVE    ANALYSIS    OF 


I.    Chicago. 

Feb.   1,   1907. 

Indeterminate  license — revoc- 
able. 

Limited  to  twenty  years  by 
Illinois  law. 

Six  months  notice  at  specified 
valuation. 

Six  months  notice  at  20% 
bonus  (if  of)erated  for  profit) 

Extension   automatic. 

Operation  and  construction 
accounts. 

Certified  audit. 

Board  of  Supervising  Engin- 
eers. 

Board  of  Supervising  Engin- 
eers. 

Board  of  Supervising  Engin- 
eers. 

None  except  on  Board  of  Su- 
pervising Engineers. 

By  order  of  City  and  approval 
of  Board. 

Through  routes  and  general 
unification. 

Award  of  Traction  Valuation 
Commission  plus  approved 
expenditure  for  rehabilita- 
tion and  extensions. 

Reproduction  value  less  de- 
preciation. 

Allowed  except  in  latest  or- 
dinance. 

Five  per  cent,  on  total  valua- 
tion-f-45%  of  residual  net 
income. 

Not  taken  into  account. 

Fifty-five  per  cent,  of  residual 
net  income  above  5%. 

For  purchase  of  railways  or 
lowering   fare. 

By  order  of  City  subject  to 
Board  supervision. 

Construction  profit  of  10% -f 
5%  brokerage  on  approved 
cost.     Return  as  per  8  17. 

No  control  by  city. 

Compulsory — completion  in 

three  years. 
Maintenance  not  less  than  6%. 

Depreciation   not  less^  than 

8%.  Damages  to  be  adjusted 

by  Board. 
Universal — free. 

Five    cents    within    the    city 

limits. 
For   paving,   repair,   snow   re- 
moval, sprinkling  and  clean- 
ing- 
Seventy  per  cent,  for  rehabili- 
tation   period. 
Excess  cost  over  original  value 
allowed  to  capital  account. 


II.     Cleveland. 

Feb.   19.  1910. 

Fixed  term  license — revoc- 
able. 

Limited  to  25  years  by  Ohio 
law. 

Six  months  notice  at  speci- 
fied value  + 10%. 

At  valued- 10%  but  lower 
return  than  to  Company. 

Not  less  than  fifteen  years. 

Complete     financial   and 
operating. 

Traction  Commissioner. 

Traction  Commissioner  and 
Councils. 

Temporary  Board  of  Arbi- 
tration. 

None. 

By  order  of  City  and  advice 
of  Commissioner. 

Vested  in  City  Commis- 
sioner. 

Award  of  Judge  Tayler,  Ar- 
bitrator plus  approved 
expenditure  for  exten- 
sions. 

Depreciated— 70%  of  re- 
production value. 

Allowed. 

Five  per  cent  on  bonds,  6% 
on  residual  capital  value. 

Not  taken  into  account. 

None. 

Automatically  absorbed  in 
trial  fare. 

May  be  proposed  by  Com- 
pany only. 

Six  per  cent,  on  par  value  of 
stock  issued. 

For  additions  to  official  val- 
uation, not  less  than  par. 
Not  provided  for. 

Depreciation  four  to  six 
cents  per  car  mile. 


Universal — pay  one  cent. 

Four  cents  to  two  cents; 
trial  fare,  three  cents. 

Company  maintains  pav- 
ing only,  not  required  to 
repave. 


TRACTION    ORDINANCES 

III.     Philadelphia. 

July  1,  1907. 

1.  Indeterminate  license — not  re- 

vocable. 

2.  Until  right  to  purchase  is  ex- 

ercised. 

3.  After  fifty  years  at  par  capital 

value. 

4.  After    fifty    years    at    auction. 

Company  has  right  to  bid. 

5.  Extension  automatic. 

6.  Only    financial   report   to   City 

Comptroller. 
7. 

8.  Examination    and     verification 

of  reports  by  City  Controller. 

9.  None  except  police  powers. 

10.  Subway  loop    only — none    for 

surface  system. 

11.  Mayor  and  two  citizens  (with- 

out liability). 

12.  Not  compulsory. 


13.  No  power. 

14.  "Paid  up"  capital  value. 


15.  No  physical  valtiation  provided 

for. 

16.  Franchise    term   reduced   from 

999  to  fifty  years. 

17.  Six  per  cent,  on  capital — 50% 

of  residual  net  income. 

18.  Basis  of  computing  return. 

19.  Fifty    per  cent,  of  net  income 

above   6%. 

20.  Not  specified. 

21.  Proposed  by  either — Company 

has  first  option. 

22.  Not  specified. 

23.  On   City's    approval — not    less 

than  par. 

24.  Not    provided   for. 

25.  "Sinking    fund"— $120,000     to 

$360,000  per  year;  becomes 
City's  property  without  limi- 
tations as  to  use. 

26.  Universal —  pay     three     cents; 

some  free. 

27.  Five    cents;    changes    only    by 

consent. 

28.  Fixed  sum— $500,000  to  $700,- 

000  per  year  in  lieu  of  paving, 
snow  removal  and  car  tax. 
29 


30 


Remarks. 
I.  Chicago.   II.  Cleveland.   III.  Philadelphia. 

Fundamental  provisions  of  charters,  objects  and 
character  of  corporations  remain  unchanged. 

I.     After  expiration  of  grant  at  depreciated  value 
+  10%. 


Except    as    regards    internal    financing    and 
auditing  by  Company. 
I  &  III.     No  provision  for  certified  audit. 

Complete  supervision   over  lehabilitation  and 

construction  work. 
Except    on    stock    and    bond    issues.     Police 

powers  reserved. 
II.    On  future  connections  with  City  Hall  Subway 

loop. 


,  &  II.     Covers    equipment,   service    and    routing 
subject  to  (I)  Board's  or  (II)  Commission- 
ers' approval. 
&  II.        Subject  to  fair  return  on  investment. 

Additions    to    valuation    include    percentage 
profit  allowed  Company. 


Franchise  value  in  Consolidated  Railway  or- 
dinance offset  by  other  considerations. 

I.  Rate  on  refunding  bonds  may  be  increased  to 

6%. 

Company  not  limited  in  issuance  of  securities. 

II.  Six  per  cent,  dividend  cumulative ;  excess  divi- 
dend optional  with  company. 


Minimum  track   extension,    eight   miles    (City 
Rys.  Co.),  and  12  miles  (Chicago  Rys.  Co.) 
or  a  total  of  twenty  miles  per  year. 
II.   Six  per  cent,  on  par  value  to  outside  operator. 


&  II.     No  control  when  not  affecting  established 
valuation  or  return. 


II.  Payments  begin  in  1912.  In  sufficient  to  retire 
original  capital  stock  in  fifty  years;  increase 
$60,000  per  year  each  decade,  $360,000  for 
balance  of  term. 

With  certain  restrictions  in  the  downtown  dis- 
trict until  after  completion  of  subways. 

Right  to  commute  fare  reserved  by  the  cit}''  to 
the  extent  of  its  share  in  net  profit. 
II.   Yearly    payments   increase    $50,000   each   ten 
years   up   to    $700,000;   no    provision   after 
fifty  years. 

Ratio  to  be  adjusted  by  Board  after  three  year 
period. 


i!.  '■; 


w  * 

I* 


A    t 


166         PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


Section  II. — Traction  Settlement  Ordinances. 

A.— CHICAGO  TRACTION  ORDINANCES. 

Passed  Feb.  11,  1907:    Ratified  by  referendum  Apr.  2,  1907:    Grant  expires* 

in  twenty  years. 

Participants;  Originally — Chicago  City  Railway  Company  (now  in- 
cludes Southern  Street  Railwa}^  Company),  Chicago  Railways  Company 
(originally  Chicago  Union  Traction  Company). 

Subsequently — Calumet  &  South  Chicago  Railway  Company,  Passed 
March  30,  1908,  accepted  bjr  the  company  May  29,  1908.  Consolidated 
Railway  Company  (not  especially  included  in  this  abstract)  passed  October 
11,  1910. 

Differences  between  ordinances:  Following  abstract  relates  to  the  City 
Railway  Ordinance.  The  Chicago  Railways  ordinance  differs  in  some  par- 
ticulars due  to  "peculiar  conditions  attaching  to  the  fact  that  the  old  Union 
Traction  System  was  composed  of  a  number  of  underlying  corporations, 
and  also  that  the  city  had  to  specifically  treat  with  the  subject  of  tunnels 
under  the  river."  The  Calumet  ordinance  follows  the  same  general  lines, 
differing  only  where  necessitated  by  local  conditions. 

Purpose:  (from  preamble)  *'To  provide  for  the  reconstruction,  re- 
equipment,  extension  *  *  *  and  unified  operation  of  the  railway  system 
*  *  *  to  deal  freely  with  the  subject  of  transportation  within  the  city  streets 
as  a  whole  *  *  *  and  to  determine  the  definite  terms  and  conditions  upon 
which  the  city  shall  have  the  right  at  any  time  to  purchase  and  take  over 
the  street  railway  system." 

1.  Consent:  City  grants  right  of  occupancy.  In  joint  grants  to 
several  cornpanies,  division  of  expenditures  provided  for. 

2.  Rehabilitation:  To  be  comprehensive,  in  accordance  with  detailed 
specifications  (appended  to  ordinance)  and  under  supervision  of  the 
Board  of  Supervising  Engineers. 

3.  Extensions:  Company  to  construct  certain  specified  extensions. 
Extensions  in  unoccupied  streets  can  be  ordered  by  Councils,  subject  to 
frontage  consent  laws  of  Illinois.  Company  is  not  obligated  to  build  parallel 
lines  nearer  than  one-half  mile,  nor  to  extend  faster  than  four  miles  of 
double  track,  or  eight  miles  (f)  single  track  per  year  if  return  on  new  capital 
would  be  reduced  to  an  inadequate  or  an  unreasonably  small  amount.  {See 
Section  25). 

4.  Motive  Power:  Authorizes  overhead  trolley  system.  Councils  may 
order  underground  trolley  after  three  years,  subject  to  provision  for  security 
of  adequate  return  to  the  Company. 

5.  Joint  use  of  poles:  City  may  use  poles  and  conduits  without  com- 
pensation for  municipal  purposes,  i.  e.  for  telephone,  telegraph  and  for  elec- 
tric wires  and  lamps. 

6.  Subways:  Companies  required  at  the  option  of  the  City  to  contri- 
bute not  over  $5,000,000  to  the  construction  of  a  city  subway  to  be  shared 
by  the  companies  as  downtown  terminals.  Future  extensions  of  the  system 
are  provided  for,  in  the  cost  of  which  the  companies  shall  participate.  All 
plans  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  Board  of  Supervising  Engineers.  Joint 
use  of  the  subway  by  elevated  roads  authorized.  Company  participation 
in  extensions  not  compulsory  if  jeopardizing  a  reasonable  return  above  5%. 

7.  Supervision:  All  construction,  equipment,  rehabilitation  and  ex- 
tensions (except  subways)  to  be  supervised  by  the  Board  and  financed  by 
the  companies.  Board  must  approve  contracts  and  payments.  Company 
to  receive  ten  per  cent,  construction  profit  and  five  per  cent,  brokerage. 
Total  cost  to  be  added  to  capital  valuation.  Board  determines  assignment 
of  expenditures  to  construction  and  to  rejgair  and  renewal  accounts.  During 
the  three  year  period  of  rehabilitation,  'the  difference  between  the  actual 
operating  expense  and  the  prescribed  seventy  per  cent,  of  gross  earnings,  is  to 
be  expended  for  renewals  but  not  charged  to  capital  account.     After  the 

♦  Laws  of  Illinois  limit  franchise  grants  to  20  years.  ..,,      .,      ^        ,  „j 

tCity  Railways  8  miles,  Chicago  Railways  12  miles,  making  a  total  for  the  two  roads 
of  20  miles  per  year. 


REGULATIVE  LEGISLATION 


167 


three  year  period,  renewals  are  not  to  be  capitalized,  excepting  only  the 
excess  cost  of  new  parts  over  the  cost  of  original  parts. 

8.  Tra^k  removals:  Requires  Company  to  remove  unused  tracks,  other- 
wise done  by  the  City  at  the  company's  expense. 

9.  Sale  of  Property:  Provides  for  sale  and  accounting  of  property 
included  in  valuation  but  no  longer  required  in  operation  of  the  system. 

10.  Service  Regulations:  Covers  cars  (including  heating,  lighting, 
ventilation  and  cleanliness),  equipment  (including  brakes  and  fenders), 
employees,  abandonment  of  trailers,  etc.  City  reserves  the  right  to  make 
regulations  necessary  to  secure  the  safety,  welfare  and  accomodation  of 
the  public.  Approval  of  such  regulations  by  the  Board  shall  be  binding, 
upon  the  Company  but  not  upon  the  City  as  to  the  reasonableness  thereof. 

11-12.  Fares:  Five  cent  fare  established  with  free  transfer  for  a 
continuous  trip  in  one  general  direction  within  the  present  or  future  city 
limits  with  certain  transfer  restrictions  in  the  downtown  district  until  a 
subway  is  built.  Transfers  allowed  between  lines  passing  within  200  feet 
of  each  other.     No  passes  except  to  policemen  and  firemen  in  uniform. 

13.  Through  Routes:  Twenty-one  routes  specified.  Additional  ones 
later  as  traffic  may  warrant.  Board  determines  necessity  therefor,  subject 
to  judicial  review.  Company  to  co-operate  with  other  corporations  in 
establishing  through  routes. 

14-15.  Paving:  Company  to  pave,  repair,  sprinkle  and  clean  those 
portions  of  the  streets  occupied  by  its  tracks  (eight  feet  wide  for  single  track, 
sixteen  feet  for  double  track).  Also  additional  paving  necessary  to  restore 
regraded  streets  to  passable  condition.  Foundation,  paving,  rail  and  joints 
specified. 

16.  Reserve  Funds:  For  maintenance  and  repairs,  not  less  than  six 
per  cent  for  renewals  and  depreciation,  not  less  than  eight  per  cent,  of  gross 
earnings — tp  take  effect  after  expiration  of  three  year  period.  Expenditures 
subject  to  approval  of  Board  and  considered  as  part  of  operating  expenses. 
Balance  of  fund  reverts  to  City  when  property  is  purchased.  If  specified 
percentages  are  not  sufficient,  the  Board  is  to  increase  allowances  out  of 
operating  expenses. 

17-18.     Insurance  and  Damages:     Both  included  in  operating  expenses. 
A  s'pecial  reserve  fund  to  be  maintained  for  damages.     Companies  required 
to  keep  property  insured  to  full  insurable  value.     Loss  by  fire  in  excess  of 
insurance  to  be  met  by  the  Company,  but  not  out  of  operating  receipts. 

19.  Company  salaries:  Compensation  regulated  by  Board  to  reason- 
able figure  for  service  rendered  when  chargeable  to  operating  expenses. 
Conipany  is  not  restricted  in  the  payment  of  any  desired  salaries  out  of  its 
own  share  of  the  net  profits.  Disputes  to  be  settled  by  the  Board,  subject 
to  judicial  review. 

20-21.  City  Purchase:  City  may  purchase  any  February  or  August 
1st  on  six  months  notice  at  original  valuation  plus  approved  capital  addi- 
tions. If  City  buys  within  twenty  years  for  leasing  and  not  for  municipal 
operation,  the  Company  is  to  receive  a  bonus  of  twenty  per  cent  on  the 
purchase  price.  If  within  three  year  period,  the  Company  may  complete 
the  work  and  receive  construction  profit  and  brokerage  thereon  (10%-f-5%). 

22-23.  Licensee:  City  may  license  any  purchaser  within  twenty  years 
who  pays  a  bonus  of  twenty  per  cent,  if  operating  for  profit,  but  this  bonus 
is  waived  if  operated  "pro  bono  publico."  If  right  to  purchase  is  not  exer- 
cised by  the  city,  it  may  allow  a  licensee  to  purchase  the  property  upon  the 
same  terms  (*)  as  the  City  at  the  expiration  of  the  twenty  year  franchise 
period. 

24.  Return  on  Investment:  After  operating  expenses  and  taxes,  five 
per  cent,  on  total  capital  value  allowed.  Remaining  net  earnings  are  to  be 
divided  between  the  City  and  the  Company,  55%  and  45%  respectively. 
City  may  a;^ly  its  share  to  commutation  of  tares,  or  accumulate  it  in  a  sink- 
ing fund  for  future  purchase  or  construction  of  railways. 

25.  Limitations   of   Extensions:     Company   not   required   to   increase 

*  Company  has  no  right  to  operate  after  20  years,  but  ordinance  gives  it  right  to  protect 
its  investment. 


168 


PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


M 

II  ! 


n 


*;! 


its  capital  account  so  fast  by  constructing  extensions  prescribed  by  the  City 
in  addition  to  those  required  by  ordinance  as  to  unreasonably  increase  the 
investment  and  thereby  reduce  its  share  of  the  net  return. 

26-28.  Deposits:  Defines  qualifications  of  depositaries  and  interest 
payments.     City  not  liable  for  safety  of  deposits. 

29-30.  Reports  and  Records:  Requires  annual  reports  of  operation 
from  the  company.  City  to  examine  and  audit  Company  accounts.  Pro- 
hibits removal  of  records  or  vouchers. 

31.  Forfeiture:  Penalty  for  non-compliance  with  provisions  of  ordi- 
nance for  three  months  after  notice,  forfeiture  of  grant;  Right  of  forfeiture 
not  to  interfere  with  right  of  pledgee  or  mortgagee  to  foreclose,  subject 
to  fundamental  provisions  of  the  ordinance.  In  case  of  foreclosure,  the  city 
has  right  to  purchase  or  license  for  municipal  operation  without  liability 
to  pay  twenty  per  cent,  bonus. 

32.  Waivers:  Company  surrenders,  at  the  time  of  acceptance  of  the 
ordinance,  all  of  its  rights  in  the  streets  except  those  granted  by  the  ordi- 
nance. 

33.  Intervention:  City  has  the  right  of  intervention  to  protect  its 
interests  in  any  litigation  involving  the  company. 

34.  Board  of  Supervising  Engineers:  Three  members,  one  represent- 
ing the  Company,  one  the  City  and  one  neutral,  the  latter  named  in  the 
ordinance.  Expenses  to  be  paid  by  the  companies  during  the  first  three 
years,  out  of  capital  account,  thereafter  out  of  earnings. 

35.  Police  Powers:     City  reserves  such  powers  for  regulative  purposes. 
37-42.     Legal  Provisions;     Relating  to  lessees  and  successors,  consent 

of  council,  title,  bond  and  referendum. 

"Epitomized,  (*)  The  result  presents  a  comprehensive  plan  of  mimi- 
cipal  control  of  a  public  service  rendered  by  a  private  corporation  for  indi- 
vidual profit,  wherein  the  municipality  escapes  financial  burden  and  manager- 
ial responsibilities,  but  becomes  a  preferred  profit  sharer  and  possible  future 
owner.  The  amplified  regulation  and  provisions  are  founded  upon  certain 
underlying  principles,  such  as  (1)  Fair  dealings  with  the  pubhc;  (2)  Fair 
dealings  w4th  the  corporations;  (3)  service,  equipment  and  construction 
without  limit  as  to  the  possibilities  for  good;  and  (4)  opportunities  for  evil 
minimized." 

B.— CLEVELAND  TRACTION  ORDINANCE. 

Passed  Dec  18,  1909.     Approved  at  referendum  Feb.  17,  1910;     Effective 
Feb.  19,  1910;    Expires  May  1,  1934.t 

Participants:  City  of  Cleveland  and  The  Cleveland  Railway  Company 
(with  its  subsidiaries  and  lessees.  The  Forest  City  Railway  Company;  The 
Municipal  Traction  Company ;  The  Low  Fare  Railway  Company ;  The  Neutral 
Street  Railway  Company). 

47.  Purpose.  "To  establish  and  settle  the  relations  between  the  City 
and  the  Cleveland  Railway  Company  by  contract,"  which  will  secure  capital 
unimpaired  and  a  fair  rate  of  return  on  actual  investment,  establish  fares, 
secure  adequate  service,  and  will  provide  for  supervision  of  railway  opera- 
tions, ultimate  acquisition  by  the  City  or  Licensee,  fair  valuation  of  property 
with  subsequent  improvements,  and  public  regulation  in  the  interest  of 
good  service. 

10.  City  Street  Railroad  Commissioner.  To  be  appointed  and  removed 
by  the  Mayor,  paid  by  the  Company.  Salary  not  to  exceed  !$  1,000  per 
month.  Duties— to  supervise,  inspect  and  to  interpret  provisions  of  ordi- 
nance and  to  advise  the  City  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  their  provisions. 

11-14.  Board  of  Arbitration.  To  be  created  in  event  of  disagreement. 
To  consist  of  three  members,  one  neutral,  all  paid  by  the  Companv-  Powers 
cover  all  questions  involved  in  contract-ordinance,  in  which  the  decision 
of  Commissioner  is  contested.     Penalty  for  non-compliance  with  decisions 

•  By  Walter  L.  Fisher. 

tLaws  of  the  State  of  Ohio  do  not  permit  grants  over  25  years. 


REGULATIVE  LEGISLATION 


169 


iS 


of  Board  is  a  reduction  not  over  one  per  cent,  in  rate  of  return  on  capital 
account  until  orders  are  deemed  to  have  been  carried  out. 

15.  Accounting.  To  conform  to  Standard  Classification  of  American 
Electric  Railway  Association  or  other  authority. 

9.  Regulation.  "The  city  reserves  to  itself  the  entire  control  of  service'' 
including  schedules,  routes,  terminals,  etc.  if  not  inconsistent  with  specified 
rate  of  return.  Also  controls  types  of  construction,  rolling  stock,  motive 
power,  track,  etc. 

8.  Cars.  Ordinance  specifies  Pay-Enter  cars  with  fare  boxes.  Seventy- 
five  per  cent,  of  cost  of  conversion  applied  to  capital  account.  Single  truck 
cars  revert  to  trailer  service  only. 

7.  Paving.  Between  tracks  and  one  foot  outside  outer  rail.  Com- 
pany required  to  maintain  only,  not  to  repave. 

16.  Capital  Value.  Cleveland  Railway  Company*  (Tayler  decision) 
$21,127,149  (includes  $3,615,843  franchise  value).  Forest  City  Railway  Co. 
$1,805,500— Total,  $22,932,749.  This  value  is  supposed  to  be  seventy  per 
cent  of  the  cost  to  reproduce.  Accrued  interest  $1,158,300 — Total,  $24,- 
091,049.00.  Deduct  bonded  and  floating  debt,  $9,416,000— Net  ''Residual' 
capital  value  $14,675,600. 

18.  Additions  to  Capital  Value.  Bonds  and  Stocks  for  extensions, 
betterments  or  improvements  only  to  be  sold  and  capitalized  at  par  value. 
Six  per  cent,  stock  return  allowed,  and  no  more. 

32.  City's  right  to  purchase.  On  six  months  notice  at  valuation  plus 
ten  per  cent.     Extensions  on  same  basis. 

36.  Price  after  expiration  of  grant.  The  "price  for  street  railroad  pur- 
poses" (viz.;  cost  to  reproduce  minus  depreciation)  plus  ten  per  cent.  No 
franchise  values  to  be  computed.  City  may  decline  to  accept  the  arbitrated 
value,  but  company  must  accept  it. 

16.  Valuation.  Capital  valuation  fixed  (by  ord- nance)  is  for  the  sole 
purpose  of  determining  the  return  to  the  Company  from  the  carriage  of 
passengers  and  for  the  purpose  of  fixing  from  time  to  time  the  rate  of  fare 
and  the  price  at  which  the  purchase  of  the  property  of  the  Company  may  be 
made  by  City  or  licensee.  Basis  of  valuation  f  Cleveland  Railway  Com- 
pany property.  Cost  to  reproduce  less  depreciation;  percentages  addi- 
tional items  allowed  for  (a)  specific  and  (b)  general  overhead  values — fifteen 
per  cent,  on  total.  Good  will,  going  value  and  extinguished  investment 
disallowed.  Unexpired  franchise  values  included  on  city  system  only,  not 
on  suburban  lines.  Forest  City  Railway  Company  valuation  agreed  upon 
hy  "historical  method"  including  extinguished  investment  and  franchise  value, 

39.  Corporate  rights.  Ordinance  does  not  abridge  rights  of  Company 
or  powers  of  Board  of  Directors.  Company  may  issue  any  kind  or  amount 
of  securities  without  the  consent  of  the  City,  provided  they  are  not  considered 
as  part  of  capital  value  established  for  rate-making  purposes  or  ultimate 
purchases. 

16.  Rate  of  return.  All  net  earnings  from  operation  to  be  applied  to 
an  "interest  fund,"  balance  to  be  maintained  at  $500,000.  Out  of  this  fund 
to  be  paid  in  .order,  taxes,  interest  and  dividends.  Five  per  cent,  allowed 
on  bonded  indebtedness,  six  per  cent,  on  floating  indebtedness  and  six  per 
cent,  on  residual  capital  value.  Any  substantial  variation  from  balance 
of  $500,000  authorizes  reduction  or  raising  of  fares. 

19.  Operating  expenses.  Allowance  subject  to  adjustment  by  agree- 
ment or  arbitration.  Trial  allowance,  11.5  cents  per  passenger  car  mile 
for  motor  cars,  6.9  cents  (60%)  for  trailers.  If  rush  hour  load  requires 
over  twice  the  normal  car  mileage,  this  allowance  to  be  increased. 

20-21.  Depreciation  and  Maintenance  Fund.  Intent  to  maintain  prop- 
erty at  seventy  per  cent,  of  reproduction  value.  Monthly  allowances, 
graded  from  four  to  six  cents  per  car  mile,  heaviest  in  summer  months. 
Fund  to  be  cumulative;  may  be  invested  in  Company  bonds  if  not  needed. 

22.  Fare.  Scale  of  ten  trial  fares  provided  for.  Maximum  four  cents, 
seven  tickets  for  a  quarter,  one  cent  transfers,  no  rebate.     Minimum  two 

♦Trackage  reported,  260  miles. 

t  Decision  of  Judge  R.  W.  Taylor,  Arbitrator. 


f  I 


170  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


cents,  one  cent  transfer,  one  cent  rebate.     Initial  trial  fare   three  cents, 
one  cent  transfer. 

23.  Trial  period.  Eight  months  (or  three  months  after  complete 
installation  of  Pay-Enter  car  equipment).  Subsequent  trial  periods,  six 
months. 

22.  Transfers.  Ordinance  provides  for  **reissuable  tickets"  transfer- 
on-transfer  possible  on  certain  lines.  No  round  trips,  transfer  abuse  to  be 
regulated.  Passenger  cannot  take  first  car  approaching  on  a  trunk  hne 
but  must  wait  for  his  particular  car. 

27-29.  Extensions.  Company  alone  may  propose  extensions  or  im- 
provements. City  to  review  estimates  and  sui>ervise  construction.  Sub- 
urban lines  entering  the  city  must  conform  to  city  regulations.  Deficit  of 
suburban  operation  must  be  carried  separately  and  not  be  made  up  out  of 
the  city  earnings. 

32-37.  Licensees.  City  may  at  any  time  grant  to  a  licensee  authority 
to  take  over  road  at  lower  rate  of  return  on  "residual  capital  value"  than 
company  receives.     Price  specified,  total  value  plus  ten  per  cent. 

47  Invalidation.  In  cases  of  invalidation  of  provisions  of  ordinance 
by  Court.  (1)  City  Council  shall  have  the  right  to  establish  fare  consistent 
with  maintenance  of  $500,000  balance  in  interest  fund,  and  ability  of  Com- 
pany to  meet  fixed  charges  on  capital  value.  (2)  Council  shall  have  power 
to  enforce  arbitration  awards.  (3)  City  Auditor  or  other  designated  muni- 
cipal officer  may  be  empowered  with  Commissioner's  duties  in  case  of  his 
removal.     All  substitutive  acts  of  Council  subject  to  Court  review. 

45.  Repudiation  by  Company.  Operates  as  a  forfeiture  of  the  grant. 
Six  months  grace  allowed  for  compliance  after  notification  by  the  City. 

6.  Car  License  Fees,  Waived  by  the  City  in  consideration  of  ordinance 
restrictions. 

9.  Unjust  Orders.  For  reparation,  Company  must  first  comply,  then 
order  arbitration.     Ordinance  provides  for  recovering  losses. 

16.  Refunding.  Floating  debt  may  be  refunded  by  sale  of  bonds  at 
best  market  price  obtainable  above  par.  Return  allowed  thereon  may  be 
increased  to  six  per  cent. 

31.     Free  transportation.     Policemen,  firemen  and  employees  only. 

41-42  Renewal  of  Grant.  City  may  renew  grant  for  a  period  of  not 
less  than  fifteen  years  with  "no  substantial  additional  burden."  When 
the  term  comes  to  have  less  than  fifteen  years  life.  Company  may  charge 
maximum  fare,  control  schedules  and  apply  surplus  to  reduction  of  capital 
account,  but  if  City  extends  grant,  this  operates  as  a  reversion  to  previous 
basis  of  operation. 

Extracts  From  Judge  Taylor's  Decision, 
Cleveland  Electric  Railway  Arbitration. 

Basis  of  Valuation.  Cost  to  reproduce  present  physical  property  less 
depreciation.  Extinguished  investment  not  given  consideration.  Good 
will  or  going  value  disallowed  in  the  face  of  monopolistic  grant.  Valuation 
held  to  be  seventy  per  cent,  of  reproduction  value  (including  overhead 
charges).  Forest  City  Railway  alone  valued  "by  historical  method  (allow- 
ances for  discarded  investment) . 

Overhead  Value.  Classified  as  "specific"  and  "general,"  the  latter  apply- 
ing to  the  enterprise  as  a  whole.  Specific  values— Track  1C%;  pavement 
3%  •  cars,  land,  buildings,  overhead,  construction,  returns,  batteries,  rolling 
stock  5%.  General  values— For  engineering,  financing,  legal  expense, 
organization,  administration,  insurance,  superintendence,  interest  dunng 
construction,  delays,  consents,  incidentals,    contingencies,  15%  on  total. 

Suburban  Lines.  Franchise  values  disallowed,  suburbs  served  will 
ultimately  become  part  of  the  city  when  extra  fare  zone  within  the  city 
limits  will  be  intolerable,  hence  suburban  grants  constitute  a  burden  that 
must  be  carried  which  offsets  franchise  values. 

Moral  Obligation.  Municipal  Traction  Company  to  Forest  City  Rail- 
wav  Company  upheld  because  occupying  favored  streets  and  serving  dis- 
tricts of  high  density  with  short  haul;  therefore,  ability  to  earn  six  per  cent. 


REGULATIVE  LEGISLATION 


171 


' 


on  stock  above  cost  of  operation  with  a  three  cent  fare  is  held  tp  be  a  valu- 
able consideration.  This  obHgation  to  be  adjusted  by  payment  of  7.5% 
on  par  value  of  stock — equals  accrued  interest  from  October  1,  1908  to 
January  1,  1910. 

C— PHILADELPHIA  TRACTION  ORDINANCE. 

Passed  July   1,    1907:     Approved  by  Mayor  July   1,    1907:     Duration  not 

defined. 

Participants:  City  of  Philadelphia  and  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit 
Company. 

Purpose:  "Affecting,  fixing  and  regulating  the  duties,  powers,  rights 
and  liabilities  of  the  City  and  of  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Company 
and  its  subsidiary  companies  *  *  *  providing  for  the  future  management  and 
extension  of  the  Street  Railway  system  *  *  *  and  the  final  acquisition  of  its 
lease  holds  and  property  by  the  City,  *  *  *  ." 

Authority:  Legislative  Act  of  April  15th,  1907,  authorizing  contracts 
between  cities,  boroughs  or  townships  and  street  railway  companies  for 
fixing  relations,  rights  and  responsibilities  of  the  contending  parties. 

1.  Capital  Stock:  Company  to  call  on  stockholders  for  unpaid  stock 
to  be  expended  in  improvements  and  extensions.  No  further  increase  with- 
out the  consent  of  the  City.  Company  not  to  part  with  stock,  leaseholds 
or  franchises  without  City's  consent. 

2-3.  Extensions:  Company  must  submit  plan  for  raising  capital  for 
extensions  it  desires  to  make. 

City  has  the  right  to  determine  extensions,  with  terms  and  conditions 
of  financing.  If  not  accepted  by  the  Company,  City  may  grant  rights  to 
any  other  company,  subject  to  city's  right  to  regulation  and  purchase  and 
six  per  cent,  return  on  invested  capital. 

3.  Funding:  Capital  for  extensions  to  be  raised  on  bond  issues  at 
not  below  par,  or  if  necessary  by  stock  issues  paid  up  at  par. 

4.  Directors:  Mayor  and  two  citizens  to  become  members  of  the 
Board  of  Directors  with  vote  but  without  liability  as  directors. 

5.  Audit:  Company  tV)  file  fiscal  statement  of  financial  operations 
and  City  Comptroller  shall  verify  for  report  to  Councils. 

6.  Dividends.  Company  may  declare  six  per  cent,  dividend  on  paid 
up  capital  without  sharing  with  the  City.  Beyond  six  per  cent.  City  shares 
equally.     Excess  dividend  is  optional  with  directors  and  cumulative. 

7.  Subway-Elevated:  Company  surrenders  Broad  Street  Subway 
franchise.  City  confirms  franchise  to  build  Frankford  elevated  line  with 
three  years  under  foregoing  stipulations  (§3)  but  dots  not  obligate  the  com- 
pany to  build. 

In  the  event  of  a  future  Broad  Street  Subway  built  by  the  City  or  other 
company,  arrangements  around  city  hall  loop  to  be  determined  by  Board  of 

Arbitrators. 

8.  Renewal  of  Franchises:  City  confirms  all  prior  franchise  grants 
(including  subsidiaries)  "free  of  all  terms"  etc.  not  herein  provided  for  and 
waives  all  rights  of  repeal  provided  that  the  rate  of  fare  may  be  changed  from 
time  to  time  (by  common  consent)  and  that  the  City  retains  "police  power" 
over  management  and  operation  of  lines. 

9.  Sinking  Fund:  Company  to  establish  fund.  Under  control  of 
a  Commission  consisting  of  the  Mavor,  the  President  of  the  Company  and 
the  President  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  City  Trusts.  Monthly  payments 
increase  from  $10,000  to  $30,000  by  steps  of  $5,000  each  decade  beginning 
in  1912.  Payments  treated  as  fixed,  charges  prior  to  dividends.  Trustees 
may  invest  in  stock  of  Company  at  not  above  par  and  underlying  bonds  at 
four  per  cent.  City  Comptroller  audits.  When  fund  aggregates  $5,000,000 
councils  may  turn  over  fund  and  futurei  payments  to  City  Treasurer. 

10.  Fixed  Sum  License:  "In  leiu  and  satisfaction  of  all  obligations 
and  liabilities  on  the  part  of  the  Company  or  its  subsidiaries  for  paving, 
repaving  or  repair  of  streets  occupied  by  their  lines  *•**  for  removal  of 
snow  *  *  *  and  all  license  fees  on  cars."  Fixed  annual  license  to  be  paid  by 
the  Company  to   the   City   increasing   in   five   decades   from   $500,000    to 


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172         PITTSBURGH  TE^NSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


$700,000  per  year.  Streets  added  or  withdrawn  computed  on  square  yard 
basis,  eight  cents  for  asphalt,  seven  cents  for  macadam  and  six  cents  for  all 
other  kinds.  This  does  not  relieve  Company  from  taxation.  But  all 
future  additions  to  taxes  are  to  be  credited  to  license  and  dividend  pay- 
ments to  City. 

11.  Right  to  Purchase:  After  July  1st,  1957,  on  six  months  notice. 
City  may  purchase  road  at  gar  capital  stock  plus  additions  authorized- 
Sinking  fund  available  for  part  payment.  This  contract  in  force  until  right 
of  purchase  is  exercised.  Rights  of  City  assignable  at  auction.  Company 
may  bid. 

12.  City  Liability:  Contract  does  not  render  City  liable  for  any  obli- 
gations of  Company  nor  involve  city  credit.  City  not  a  partner  in  enterprise. 
Joint  dividend  (over  six  per  cent.)  is  in  lieu  of  additional  taxes  and  assess- 
ments, City  has  the  right  to  impose. 

13.  City  Consent:     Only  given  by  Councils. 

14.  Prior  Contracts:  Between  City  and  Company  cancelled  and  super- 
ceded except  certain  agreements  for  grade  crossings,  temporary  tracks  and 
Broad  Street  tracks. 

15.  Supersedes:  This  contract  repeals  ordinance  of  July  7,  1857,  regu- 
lating passenger  railways  and  all  supplementary  ordinances  mcluding  those 
of  April  1,  1859  and  March  30,  1893,  providing  for  paving,  snow  removal, 
removal  of  wires  and  poles  to  underground  system,  right  of  entry  and  pur- 
chase at  property  value. 

Section  III. — State  Regulation  by  Commission. 

NEW  YORK  PUBLIC  SERVICE  COMMISSION. 

Established  under  Law  of  1907.  Abolishing  the  then  existing  Rail- 
road Commission,  the  State,  Gas  and  Electricity  Commission,  the  State 
Inspector  of  Gas  Meters,  and  the  New  York  Rapid  Transit  Commission, 
and  transferring  their  powers  to  the  Public  Service  Commission. 

Establishing  two  administrative  districts,  one  for  Greater  New  York 
and  the  other  for  the  remainder  of  the  State. 

Jurisdiction  over  gas,  electric  light  and  power  companies;  also  express 
companies  operated  upon  or  in  connection  with  a  railroad  or  street  railway, 
street  and  interurban  railways  and  steam  railroads  or  other  comm,on  carri- 
ers. Does  not  have  jurisdiction  over  telephone,  telegraph  and  water  com- 
panies. 

Powers.  '  To  conduct  investigations  (with  power  of  entry  and  subpoena) ; 
to  determine  and  impose  reasonable  service  and  rates;  to  establish  uniform 
systems  of  accounting  for  company  reports;  to  require  reports  of  accident 
and  investigate  them;  to  conduct  periodical  inspections  of  condition  of  prop- 
erties; to  supervise  all  proposed  issues  or  transfers  of  stocks  and  bonds. 
Commission  laws  contain  no  express  provision  for  certified  audi^  of  com- 
pany accounts  other  than  verification  of  the  companies'  sworn  reports,  nor 
for  the  determination  of  depreciation  rates,  but  does  provide  for  the  regula- 
tion of  competition  by  requiring  certificate  of  public  convenience  and  neces- 
sitv  before  exercise  of  franchise.  While  valuation  of  properties  is  not  speci- 
fied in  the  utilities  law,  such  right  has  been  inferred  and  exercised  in  con- 
nection with  re- organization  and  rate  cases. 

Franchises.  Indeterminate  permit  with  certificate  of  public  conveni- 
ence and  necessity. 

Competition.  No  franchise  to  be  exercised  until  Commission  has  decided 
after  public  hearing  that  it  is  justifiable  by  "public  convenience  and  neces- 
sity." .    .  ,  ,  .       . 

Extensions.  Law  empowers  Commission  to  order  such  repairs,  improve- 
ments and  changes  as  it  deems  necessary  to  "promote  the  security  or  con- 
venience of  the  public."  This  also  applies  to  interconnections  between 
adjacent  properties  for  establishing  through  routes  and  joint  fares. 

Orders.  Of  Commission  are  prima  facie,  take  effect  when  designated 
and  remain  in  force  until  rescinded  by  the  Commission  or  Courts.     Proceed- 


( 


REGULATIVE  LEGISLATION 


173 


ings  instituted  by  the  Commission  take  precedence  over  all  other  civil  causes 

except  elections. 

Municipal  Ownership.  At  the  instance  of  Governor  Hughes,  the 
legislature  in  1908-9  passed  constitutional  amendments  excluding  from  the 
municipal  debt  limit, '  bonds  issued  for  enterprises  producing  revenue  in 
excess  of  maintenance  charges.     These  were  adopted  by  popular  vote  in  1909. 

Rapid  Transit.  Act  empowers  Commission  for  the  first  district  (New 
York  City)  to  grant  franchises  for  certain  classes  of  rapid  transit  lines,  and 
may  lay  out  new  transit  routes  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  City  authori- 
ties, and  let  contracts  and  supervise  construction.  Under  certain  condi- 
tions the  city  may  directly  operate  municipal  transit  routes,  through  the 
agency  of  the  Public  Service  Commission. 

WISCONSIN  RAILROAD  COMMISSION. 

Established  in  1905  with  jurisdiction  over  steam  railroad,  express, 
car,  freight  line  and  sleeping  car  companies.  In  1907  its  jurisdiction  was 
extended  to  include  telegraph  companies  and  street  and  interurban  railways. 
Also  by  Public  Utility  Act,  telephone,  water,  light,  heat  and  power  utilities, 
whether  owned  by  private  capital  or  municipalities. 

Powers.  As  to  all  subjects  over  which  it  has  jurisdiction;  to  determine 
and  impose  reasonable  service  and  rates;  to  establish  uniform  systems  of 
accounting;  as  to  telephone,  water,  light,  heat  and  power  utihties,  to  make 
valuations  of  properties;  to  examine  and  audit  company  accounts;  to  fix 
standards  of  measure,  quality  or  other  conditions  pertaining  to^  product 
or  service ;  to  regulate  competition  and  to  keep  informed  concerning  improve- 
ments, extensions  and  additions  to  utility  properties.  "Every  Pubhc 
Utility  shall  carry  a  proper  and  adequate  depreciation  account,  whenever 
the  Commission,  after  investigation,  shall  deternine  that  such  depreciation 
account  can  be  reasonably  required."  Further,  the  Commission  must 
determine  "what  are  the  proper  and  adequate  rates  of  depreciation  of  the 
several  classes  of  property  of  each  public  utility." 

Indeterminate  Permit.  The  Utilities  Law  prescribes  that  "every  license, 
permit  or  franchise  hereafter  granted  *  *  *  shall  have  the  effect  of  an  inde- 
terminate permit  subject  to  the  provisions  of  this  Act  *  *  *  "  and  "that 
the  municipality  *  *  *  may  purchase  the  property  of  such  pubhc  utility 
*  *  *  at  any  time  as  provided  herein,  paying  therefor  just  comijensation 
to  be  determined  by  the  Commission  and  according  to  the  terms  and  condi- 
tions fixed  by  said  Commission."  Any  street  railway  company  upon  the 
surrender  of  its  unexpired  "term"  franchises  may  continue  operating  indefin- 
itely under  an  indeterminate  franchise-  For  utilities  other  than  railways 
this  surrender  (*)  must  take  place  prior  to  January  1,  1911,  but  no  time  limit 
is  placed  upon  street  railways.  No  road  may  be  constructed  without  a 
certificate  of  "public  convenience  and  necessity." 

Competition.  No  competitive  public  utility  franchises  to  be  exercised 
until  the  Commission,  after  public  hearing,  decides  that  it  is  "required  by 
public  convenience  and  necessity." 

Orders.  Of  Commission  are  prima  facie,  take  effect  when  designated 
and  remain  in  force  until  rescinded  by  the  Commission  or  the  Courts.  Court 
proceedings  tor  rescission  take  precedence  over  all  other  civil  causes  exctpt 
elections. 

Extensions.  Th^  utilities  law  empowers  any  municipality  to  require 
"such  extensions  to  its  physical  plant  within  said  municiplaity  as  shall  be 
reasonable  and  necessary  in  the  interest  of  the  public"  subject  to  appeal 
to    the    Commission. 

Joint  trackage.     Another  Wisconsin  Act   provides  that  in  any  stree 
where  two  companies  each  own  and  operate  single  track,  the  City  may  require 
by  ordinance  that  the  companies  jointly  use  such  tracks,  either  by  agree- 
ment or  condemnation,  so  that  cars  shall  run  only  one  w^ay  on  each  track 
and  also  provides  tha"^  no  city  laying  tracks  over  bridges  or  viaducts  shall 

♦Up  to  Avigust  31.  1910,  sixty-eight  Gas,  Water  and  Light  Companies  had  exchanged 
their  term  franchises  for  indeterminate  permits,  but  only  one  traction  company,  The  Menom- 
inee &  Marinette  Light  &  Traction  Company. 


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174  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


grant  exclusive  franchises  to  any  railway  company  so  as  to  preempt  the 
approaches  thereto. 

Municipal  Ownership.  Laws  provide  for  issue  of  bonds  secured  by 
mortgage  upon  plant  without  municipal  liability,  and  also  provide  for  muni- 
cipal railway  terminals  in  cities  of  the  first  class  with  right  of  lease.  The 
construction  of  a  municipal  plant  where  a  private  plant  exists  under  an 
indeterminate  franchise  is  subject  to  the  same  procedure  requiring  certifi- 
cate of  public  convenience  and  necessity  as  an  independent  private  under- 
taking. Municipalities  may  acquire  any  utility  bv  purchase  at  a  "just 
and  reasonable  compensation,"  as  determined  by  the  Commission,  subject 
to  judicial  review. 

Foreign  Corporations.  No  franchises  to  be  granted  or  transferred  ex- 
cept to  corporations  organized  under  the  laws  of  Wisconsin. 

MASSACHUSETTS  RAILROAD  COMMISSION. 

This  Commission  has  been  in  existence  forty-one  years.  Has  juris- 
diction over  common  carriers  including  express  and  steamship  companies. 
A  separate  Board  of  Gas  and  Electric  Light  Commissioners  has  supervision 
over  the  other  utilities.  In  Boston  and  vicinity  the  Boston  Transit  Com- 
mission conducts  investigations,  builds  subways,  etc.  as  directed  from  time 
to  time  by  the  State  Legislature. 

The  Railroad  Commission  has  general  supervision  and  re  cornmendatory 
powers  over  service,  rates  and  the  issue  of  securities,  its  orders  being  enforce- 
able by  the  State  Supreme  Court. 

Franchises.  Massachusetts  is  the  home  of  indeterminate  franchises. 
All  municipal  grants  are  revocable  at  any  time  without  compensation,  but 
without  provision  for  municipal  purchase. 

Express  and  light  freight  may  be  carried  by  street  railways  with  the 
approval  of  the  local  authorities  and  the  Railroad  Commission  or  of  the 
Commission  alone,  if  the  consent  of  the  local  authorities  cannot  be  secured. 
The  municipality,  with  the  approval  of  the  Commission,  may  establish 
regulations  covering  such  traffic.     (Act  of  1907.) 

Rapid  Transit.  Acts  of  1906-7  enabled  the  Boston  Transit  Commission 
to  conduct  a  general  investigation  of  street  and  freight  traffic  in  the  Boston 
District;  authorized  the  contsruction  of  an  east  and  west  tunnel  in  Bos^^on, 
known  as  the  Riverbank  subway,  and  provided  a  method  of  determining 
damages  to  abutting  property  from  elevated  lines,  based  upon  the  determina- 
tion of  the  fact  whether  depreciation  of  such  property  exceeded  the  appre- 
ciation due  to  the  introduction  of  rapid  transit. 

PENNSYLVANIA  STATE  RAILROAD  COMMISSION. 

This  body,  created  in  1908,  has  general  authority  over  "common  car- 
riers" and  certain  utilities,  (including  pipe  lines,  sleeping  car,  express,  tele- 
phone and  telegraph  companies),  to  make  investigations  and  recommenda- 
tions regarding  service,  equipment  and  rates,  but  has  no  power  to  enforce 
its  orders  except  by  appeal  to  and  action  of  the  Attorney  General.  Power 
of  supervision  and  investigation  over  corporations,  (railroad,  banking,  min- 
ing, telephone,  manufacturing  and  other  business  corporations)  is  vested 
constitutionally  in  the  State  Secretary  of  Internal  Affairs,  to  whom  are  made 
annual  reports  of  corporate  operations.  The  form  of  these  reports  has  been 
approved  by  the  Commission  and  it  accordingly  does  not  require  reports  to 
be  made  to  it.  The  provisions  for  control  over  the  issue  of  corporation  se- 
curities appear  to  be  so  inadequate  that  the  Commission  has  requested  the 
Legislature  to  either  strengthen  or  repeal  them  entirely. 

Competition.  Legislative  Act  of  1907  prohibits  a  railroad  corporation 
from  acquiring,  purchasing  or  guaranteeing  the  securities,  physical  property 
or  franchises  of  any  competing  street  railway  corporation. 

Fares. — Express.  Acts  of  1907  specify  a  maximum  fare  of  live  cents 
for  a  continuous  ride  in  one  car  within  the  corporate  limits  of  any  city  of  the 
second  class  over  the  lines  of  any  one  railway  company,  and  confer  on  s+reet 


REGULATIVE  LEGISLATION 


175 


railway  companies  the  right  to  conduct  an  express  business,  subject  to  rea- 
sonable regulation  prescribed  by  local  authorities. 

Section  IV. — Commission  Legislation  of  Other  States. 

Maryland  Public  Service  Commission  established  by  Act  of  1910, 
with  broad  supervisory  and  regulative  powers  ovtr  common  carriers  gas, 
electric  light  and  power,  telephone,  telegraph,  heating,  refrigerating  and 
water  companies.     Valuation  of  property  provided  for. 

New  Jersey  Board  of  Public  Utility  Commissioners  established 
by  Act  of  1910  amending  Railroad  Commission  Law  of  1907.  The 
original  Act  limited  the  powers  of  the  Commission  to  investigation  and 
recommendation,  but  by  subsequent  amendments  these  powers  were  broad- 
ened so  as  to  make  its  orders  compulsory. 

District  of  Columbia.  Congressional  Act  of  1908,  empowered  the 
Interstate  Commerce  Commission  to  regulate  the  service  of  traction  com- 
panies operating  in  the  District.  Under  this  Act,  an  Electric  Railway 
Commission  was  created  in  an  advisory  capacity  with  authority  only  to  hold 
hearings  and  obtain  facts  necessary  tor  recommendation  to  the  Interstate 
Commerce  Commission.  One  result  of  this  relation  is  a  "code  of  regulations 
for  the  operation  of  elevated  and  street  railways  in  the  District  of  Columbia." 
This  code  comprises  among  other  things  the  following.  Closed  cars  to  be 
heated  to  40-60°  F.  from  November,  1st  to  April  1st ;  trailers  abolished  after 
1911  unless  of  double  truck  type  with  separate  conductor;  interurban  cars 
not  required  to  stop  locally;  passengers  may  alight  at  any  street;  cars  must 
stop  for  waiting  passengers  unless  all  seats  are  occupied;  roads  must  operate 
"sufficient  cars  *  *  *  without  crowding"  as  may  be  ordered  by  the  Interstate 
Commerce  Commission. 

Congress  has  the  power  to  order  construction  and  extensions;  removal 
of  tracks  and  restoration  of  pavement;  joint  use  of  tracks  by  two  or  more 
companies;  joint  construction  of  temporary  tracks;  new  equi*pment  under 
penalty  of  abrogation  of  franchise.  Cost  of  regrading  reconstructed  tracks 
to  be  borne  by  the  company.  Transfers  cannot  be  abolished  except  by  Con- 
gressional authority.  All  franchises  granted  in  the  District  are  with  rights 
reserved  to  amend  or  repeal  at  any  time. 

Connecticut  Railroad  Commission  has  limited  supervisory  powers 
over  carriers  and  no  power  to  regulate  rates. 

Maine  Railroad  Commission  has  general  powers,  but  is  not  a  rate 
fixing  board  except  in  adjudications  upon  complaint.  Act  of  1907  transfers 
from  the  Supreme  Court  to  the  Railroad  Commission  power  to  grant  street 
railway  franchises  denied  by  municipalities.  This  amends  the  former  law 
providing  for  an  appeal  from  the  local  authorities. 

Michigan  Railroad  Commission  created  by  Act  of  1907  replacing  the 
former  office  of  Railroad  Commissioner.     Has  general  regulative  powers. 

Nebraska  Railway  Commission  has  power  of  rate  regulation  over  all 
carriers.  The  validity  of  its  power  was  tested  in  1907,  but  upheld.  The 
Commission  has  conducted  valuations  of  property  when  necessary,  as  in 
the  Lincoln  Traction  Company  rate  case.  Under  special  appropriation  of 
1 909.  complete  valuations  of  all  properties  has  been  undertaken. 

North  Carolina  Corporation  Commission  is  a  Court  of  Record  with 
general  supervisory  powers. 

Oklahoma  Corporation  Commission  possesses  very  broad  constitu- 
tional authority  over  all  carriers  and  utilities  with  power  to  enforce  its  orders. 
One  of  the  broadest  provisions  follows:  "Whenever  any  business  by  reason 
of  its  nature,  extent  or  the  existence  of  a  virtual  monopoly  therein,  is  such 
that  the  public  must  use  same  or  its  services  *  *  *  or  the  commodities  bought 
or  sold  *  *  *  in  such  a  jnanner  as  to  make  it  of  public  consequence  *  *  *  said 
business  is  a  public  business  and  subject  to  be  controlled  by  the  State  *  *  * 
as  to  all  of  its  practices,  prices,  rat«»s  and  charges." 

Rhode  Island  Railroad  Commissioner  replacing  the  formerRailroad 
Commission.  Has  limited  ^wers  over  carriers.  Many  general  powers 
are  vested  in  temporary  commissions,  state  or  local  government. 


176         PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


REGULATIVE  LEGISLATION 


177 


1 1 

,1 


Virginia  Corporation  Commission  has  supervisoty  control  over  all 
transportation  and  transmission  companies  with  power  to  enforce  orders  by 

legal  process. 

Washington  Railroad  Commission  has  extensive  regulative  powers 
except  over'^street  railways,  and  has  carried  out  complete  valuations  of  rail- 
road  property  as  a  basis  for  the  determination  of  fair  rates.  ^ 

Iowa  Railroad  Commission  Act  exempts  street  railways  from  ju^s- 
diction  Act  of  1907  authorizes  interurban  railways  to  use  city  railway 
tracks  and  faciUties  upon  payment  of  compensation,  except  for  loca  business. 
Disagreements  to  be  settled  by  Railroad  Commission  or  the  District  Court. 

Kansas  Railroad  Commission.  Act  of  1907  amending  the  c^ginal 
act  of  1901,  excluded  street  railways  from  general  3unsdiction  of  Commission 
when  operating  exclusively  within  any  county. 

Minnesota  Railroad  Commission  does  not  ^^^^^^^^ ^^^[^fJJ /^'^^^^^ 
but  has  conducted  a  complete  valuation  of  railroad  property  withm  the  State. 

South  Dakota  Railroad  Commission  Law  excepts  street  railways 
but  provides  for  general  valuation  of  all  carriers. 

MISCELLANEOUS  ACTS  OF  OTHER  STATES. 

Texas.     Act  of  1907  conferring  power  of  ^.^i^^.^^^.i^^^J^^^f,^^^^^^ 
railway   companies,    permits   entry  ^^^o   municipalities   by  eas^^^^^^ 
city  railway  tracks.     Routes  and  terms  to  be  hxed  by  local  authorities. 

New  Hampshire  Act  of  1907  provides  that  all  double  truck  cars  shall 
be  eq  Jwi  with  power  brakes  approved  by  the  Railway  Commission. 

OhTo  Act  of  1908  permits  any  municipality  to  authorize  the  construc- 
tion of  elevaLd  railroa^s^nd  tunnels.  Municipal  franchises  may  provide 
for  purchase^Ind  ownership  by  the  city,  but  must  limit  therate  of  ^  are  jvithm 
the  citv  to  five  cents..    Referendum  obhgatory  upon  petition  of  ten  per 

^'"^MilsouRTTt  of  1907  permits  cities  of  100,000^pulation  to  build  o^^ 
acauire  subways  for  transportation  of  persons,  express  or  ^^^ignj'  J!f'^" 
subways  may  be  operated  o^leased  for  a  period  not  over  fi^^y  years  if  ratified 
by  Sendum.     The  municipality  may  issue  bonds  payable  out  of  sub^^ay 

'"""^  Act  of  extra  session  of  1907  empowers  cities  to  Pa^s.-^f^jf^"^^^^^^^ 
public  utility  rates,  subject  to  Court  review    or  ^o  establish  Public  UtiUty 
Commissions  for  this  purpose.     St.  Louis,  St.  Joseph  and  Kansas  Uty,  mo. 
have  taken  advantage  of  this  provision. 

Section  V.-Board  of  Public  Utilities,  Los  Angeles,  California. 

Created  by  City  Ordinance  on  referendum  vote.  Three  Cpmmissioners 
were  appoTnte^  by  the  Mayor  December  20,  1909.  The  principal  duties  of 
the  Board  as  prescribed  in  the  ordinance  are  noted  below . 

1.  JuJdiction.  "To  investigate  each  year  the  affairs  o  all  g^^^^^^^^ 
firms   or-^corporations   operating   or   maintaining  ^f  ?^'   !,\^^^^^"%;^^^^^ 

te  neS^5&"y  to  dlte^ine  the  proper  charges  for  the  sery.ces  f"™.shed  or 

'*'®^'9  <:<,„„•„  Charges  "To  recommend  to  the  City  Councils  prior  to  the 
first  day  of  March  o£  lad.  yea?,  a  schedule  of  char.es  /or  the  servces  speofied 
in  subdivision  1  of  this  section." 

^      rnmi>laints      "To   investigate    complaints   against    the   service    or 

y..rl'..  ni^nvv^kon    firm  or  corporation  operating  any  public  service 

St'^in  Los  \n'Sles?'a)^^^^^  recomZnd  legislation  or  action  to  executive 


officers  of  the  City  whenever  in  the  judgment  of  the  Board  such  legislation 
or  such  action  may^e  necessary." 

4.  Inspection.  "To  superintend  the  inspection  of  all  public  utilities 
and  services  in  Los  Angeles  as  to  their  compliance  with  their  franchises 
and  with  law  and  the  ordinances,  their  service  and  charges  and  their  treat- 
ment of  the  public,  and  from  time  to  time  to  recommend  such  legislation  or 
executive  action  as  may  be  required." 

5.  Franchise  Record.  "To  prepare  and  keep  a  detailed  and  indexed 
record  of  all  public  service  franchises  granted  by  the  City  that  are  now  in 
existence  or  that  may  hereafter  be  granted,  showing  the  date,  location,  term 
thereof,  and  all  other  essentail  facts,  and  a  similar  record,  so  far  as  practi- 
cable, of  all  other  public  franchises  exercised  in  Los  Angeles."  Franchises 
must  be  referred  to  the  Board  for  its  recommendations  before  being  adver- 

tlSGQ.    for   S3.16 

6.  Annual  Report.  "To  report  to  the  City  Council  in  June  of  each 
year  the  essential  facts  and  figures  concerning  the  aforesaid  public  utilities 
operated  and  maintained  in  Los  Angeles,  comparing  their  charges  and  char- 
acter of  service  with  those  of  similar  utilities  in  other  municipalities.' 

From  the  above,  it  will  appear  that  the  Board  has  advisory  duties. 
Its  scope  of  authority  in  dealing  with  corporations  and  laws  relating  thereto 
is  somewhat  limited  owing  to  the  reservation  of  authority  over  certain  utih- 
ties  (*)  by  State  Constitution  and  by  the  existence  of  other  specific  regulative 
acts.  The  charter  powers  of  the  City  vests  in  the  City  Councils— authority 
to  regulate  service  and  rates  of  certain  utilities  under  which  power  the  City- 
has  somewhat  enlarged  the  scope  of  its  operations  by  supplementary  ordi- 
nances. The  City  Charter  provides  for  regulation  of  speed  and  traffic  of 
transportation  companies  and  the  Civil  Code,  over  construction  and  opera- 
tion of  street  railways,  joint  occupancy,  fares,  etc.  There  is  no  officer 
directly  charged  with  inspection  of  railway  service  except  within  the  scope 
of  regular  police  duty.  A  more  consistent  and  uniform  policy  m  dealing 
with  all  utilities  is  therefore  advocated  by  the  Board  through  supplementary 
legislation. 

Section  VI.— Results  of  Traction  Settlement  Ordinances. 

CHICAGO.  As  the  three  year  rehabilitation  period  has  practically 
expired  (April  15,  1910,  for  the  Chicago  City  Railway;  January  28,  1911,  for 
the  Chicago  Railways  Company)  the  results  accomplished  will  be  of  interest. 
Prior  to  this  period,  the  Traction  Valuation  Commission  established  values 
for  each  of  the  railways  systems,  terminating  and  evaluating  all  prior  trac- 
tion grants  and  these  findings  established  a  total  value  for  the  Chicago  City 
Railway,  Chicago  Railways,  Calumet  &  South  Chicago  and  Southern  Street 
Railway  Companies  of  $55,775,000,  including  unexpired  franchises  values. 

During  this  so-called  reconstruction  period  a  total  of  approximately 
$60,000,000  ($59,417,605.38  on  December  1,  1910,  not  including  final  cer- 
tificates for  November,  1910)  had  been  expended,  exclusive  of  $657,705 
expended  out  of  earnings. 

On  this  rehabilitation  work  the  companies  were  allowed  by  the  February 
11th  ordinances  to  cover  brokerage  and  construction  profits,  15%  on  the 
cost  (exclusive  of  minor  adjustments  of  accounts)  as  approved  by  the  Board 
of  Supervising  Engineers,  which  percentages  amounted  to  $7,155,232.13 
on  December  1,  1910  (subject  to  the  increase  allowed  under  the  final  certifi- 
cate for  November,  1910).  The  magnitude  of  this  work  is  brought  out 
more  forcibly  by  the  fact  that  it  comprises  about  400  miles  of  track  and  that 
on  the  entire  reconstruction  work  there  has  been  at  times  as  many  as  10,000 
men  employed.  The  new  and  reconstructed  sub-stations  have  a  capacity 
of  nearly  100,000  kilowatts;  more  than  2,000  new  double  truck  pay-as-you- 
enter  cars  have  been  installed  in  service;  415  miles  of  trolley,  1150  miles  of 
copper  cable  have  been  installed,  and  a  score  or  more  of  new  buildings  erected. 
Never  in  Chicago's  his+ory  have  the  right-of-way  and  adiacent  roadway 
been  so  well  paved  as  under  the  present  ordinances. 

♦Railroad  and  telegraph  companies  are  under  jurisdiction  of    State  Board  of  Railroad 
Commissioners. 


i.  ! 


f 


.1 


1 78         PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


The  City's  share  in  the  form  of  cash  return— 55%  of  residual  net  income 
—will  aggregate  more  than  $5,000,000  on  January  31,  1911  ($4,227,74/ 
to  January  31,  1910^.  The  annual  amount  has  l^en  decreasing  year  by 
year  during  the  above  referred  to  reconstruction  period  owing  to  the  rapid 
increase  in  Capital  Account  upon  which  the  live  psr  cent,  annual  return  is 
allowed  under  the  ordinances,  but  it  is  expected  that  not  only  the  City  s 
but  also  the  Company's  net  profit  will  gradually  increase  after  the  rehabili- 
tation period,  when  all  replacements  are  made  from  the  renewal  tunds. 

The  total  exl^enses  of  the  Board  of  Supervising  Engineers  has  averaged 
a  little  less  than  1.6%  of  the  rehabilitation  expenditures. 

The  extension  of  the  prescribed  plan  of  through  routes  has  been  accom- 
plished by  the  gradual  elimination  of  physical  difficulties  which  were  encoun- 
tered on  every  route  preventing  the  operation  of  standard  double  truck  cars. 
Improvement  in  equipment  has  been  accomplished  with  theassis  ance  ot 
technical  investigations  on  such  subiects  as  track  deflections,  strength  and 
durability  of  materials,  power  consumption  and  distribution,  forced  venti- 
lation of  cars,  chemical  preservation  of  ties,  etc.,  and  as  a  result,  standards 
have  been  discussed  and  adopted  for  track  and  rolling  stock.  All  steel, 
non-combustible  cars  have  been  introduced,  and  the  pay-as-you-enter  fea- 
ture installed  on  all  of  the  new  and  much  of  the  old  equipment. 

Comparative  studies  were  made  during  1907-8  before  and  after  the  intro- 
duction of  the  pay-as-you-enter  cars.  When  normal  increase  in  trafhc  was 
allowed  for,  the  results  indicated  a  closer  collection  of  fares  a  reduction  in 
car  hours  (which,  for  the  same  service,  means  greater  rapidity  in  handling 
passengers)  increase  in  receipts  per  car  hour  and  a  corresponding  decrease  in 
accidents. 

CLEVELAND.  The  first  trial  period  for  the  operation  of  the  Cleveland 
Railway  Company  on  the  basis  of  tlie  Tayler  franchise  plan  ended  Novem- 
ber 30th.  Exact  returns  are  unavailable  as  yet.  but  the  following  notes  (*) 
are  of  interest.  For  the  entire  trial  period,  the  interest  fund  showed  a  surplus 
ot  approximately  $50,000  in  excess  of  the  permanent  amount  stipulated 
in  the  ordinance--$500,000.  The  maintenance  and  reserve  fund  also  sho^^  ed 
a  surplus,  but  the  operating  fund,  a  deficit  since  the  advance  m  wages.  For 
the  fiVst  six  months>eports  show  (t)  as  follows:  ^The  ^'^P^^di^^res  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  Company's  property  exceeded  the  amount  allowed  by 
^e  ordinance  by  $231,494  *  ^  *  or  34.5%.  Much  of  this  expenditure  was 
for  repair  and  renewal  of  track.  The  11.5  cents  per  car  mile  allowed  by  the 
ordinance  for  operating  expenses  other  than  maintenance,  amounted  during 
?hfs  same  six^months  to  $1,529,117.  The  actual  expenditures  were 
$1,506,823,  leaving  a  surplus  of  $22,294." 

It  is  reported  (t)  that  the  system  has  been  operated  on  the  mosthmited 
margin  sinc^  the  settlement  was  reached.  No  extensions  are  being  made 
and  no  improvements  are  being  contemplated,  and  none  can  be  made  unless 
the  demand  for  the  Company's  stock  improves,  so  that  the  coming  \Mnter 
will  xjrobably  bring  a  crisis  in  the  three  cent  fare  situation. 

On  December  5th  a  resolution  was  passed  by  Councils  instructing  the 
Street  Railway  Commissioner  to  investigate  the  situation  with  a  view  to 
securing  better  service.  Extreme  dissatisfaction  with  the  service  exists  not 
only  with  the  public  but  with  the  Company  as  the  ec,uipment  is  |nadequate 
to  meet  the  growth  of  the  City.  This  situation  the  company  frankly  admits, 
but  declares  itself  powerless  to  remedy  under  the  prevailing  franchise  con- 
ditions The  refunding  contemplated  by  the  ordinance  cannot  be  carried 
out  as  the  stock  still  holds  some"^ points  below  par..  The  rehabilitation  and 
extensions  of  the  system  that  are  necessary  are  due  to  the  j;^f^f  ^''rnmnanv 
of  the  property  when  the  ordinance  went  into  force.  In  brief,  the  Company 
has  exLuSed  its  credit,  largely  due  to  the  limitations  on  company  re^rn 
and  income  imposed  by  the  low  rate  of  fare.  In  1912  and  1913,  oyer  eight 
miUion  dollars  ^n  bonled  debt  matures  Refunding  was  contemplated  b^ 
the  sale  of  stock  but  the  ordinance  prohibits  sales  belo^^  par  in  the  beuei 
that  the^'sfcurV^    investment"  produced  by  the  ordinance  would  attract 

♦  Electric  Railway  Journal.  Dec.  10.  1910. 
t  Electric  Railway  Association,  October  1910. 
X  Electric  Railway  Journal,  Nov.  19.  1910. 


REGULATIVE  LEGISLATION 


179 


sufficient  capital.  The  stock,  however,  continues  below^  par.  To  meet 
public  dissatisfaction  and  attempt  some  provision  for  the  future,  a  movement 
is  on  foot  to  force  either  a  raising  of  the  maximum  fare  to  five  cents  or  else  a 
modification  of  the  Tayler  plan  for  granting  of  additional  franchise  security 
whereby  refunding  could  be  carried  out  on  a  four  or  four  and  five-tenths 
per  cent,  instead  of  six  per  cent,  basis,  as  provided  for  in  the  ordinance  on 
refunding  bonds. 

PHILADELPHIA.  Serious  dissatisfaction  with  the  settlement  ordin- 
ance of  1907  seems  to  have  arisen  in  Philadelphia,  as  indicated  by  the  follow- 
ing ordinance  recently  passed  by  Councils. 

"Whereas  the  chief  argument  for  the  adoption  of  the  ordi- 
nance creating  the  agreement  of  contract  between  the  City  and 
the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Company  was  the  solemn 
promise  of  an  improved  service;  and 

"Whereas,  the  facilities  as  a  whole,  are  today  even  more 
deplorably  inadequate  than  they  were  before  the  contract  of 
1907  was"^entered  into,  routes  and  fares,  particularly  in  South 
Philadelphia  as  well  as  in  other  sections  of  the  city,  being 
changed,  radical  alterations  being  made  since  October  1st,  to 
the  decided  disadvantage  of  the  public ; 

"Resolved,  by  the  Select  and  Common  Councils  of  the  City 
of  Philadelphia  that  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Company 
be  requested  to  restore  the  service  at  least  as  it  existed  before 
October  1st.  and 

"Resolved  that  the  company  be  requested  to  communicate 
to  Councils  its  plans  for  the  financial  and  physical  development 
of   the   system." 
The  Philadelphia  traction  system  has  operated  for  the  past  four  years 
with  a  deficit.     During  the  fiscal  year  1910,  this  deficit  reached  the  maxi- 
mum, $1,329,722.  or  7.18%  of  the  gross  income.     This  deficit  was  materially 
augmented  by  the  prolonged  strike,  the  extraordinary  expenses  of  which 
were  written  off  in  the  year's  account.     Considerable  increase  in  fixed  charges 
wages  and  taxes  also  took  place  during  this  year.     The  Phildelphia  Rapid 
Transit  Company  guarantees  an  annual  rental  under  its  present  lease  of  the 
Union  Traction  Company  lines,  of  six  per  cent,  on  $30,000,000  capital  stock, 
or  $1,800,000,  equivalent  to  9.7%  of  the  present  gross  income. 

That  efforts  have  been  made  by  the  operating  company  to  relieve  the  pres- 
ent unsatisfactory  situation  is  evidenced  by  its  endeavor  to  secure  the  support 
of  certain  financial  interests  through  representation  upon  its  directorate. 
The  conditions  of  acceptance  imposed  by  these  interests  are  quoted  below : 
"  *  *  *  in  view  of  the  Transit  company's  financial  require- 
ments, I  feel  that  I  can  only  accept  this  responsibility  upon 
a  certain  definite  understanding  by  which  the  Union  Traction 
Company  will  guarantee  the  Transit  Company's  obligations  to 
provide  such  new  capital  as  may  be  required  until  such  time 
as  the  net  earnings  of  the  system  are  sufficiently  increased  as 
to  make  possible  the  sale  of  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit 
Company's  securities  on  their  own  merits,  *   *  *  and   that  a 
sufficient  amount  be  appropriated  from  the  earnings  to  properly 
maintain  the  property." 
Recent  developments  indicate  the  substantia]  execution  of  these  plans 
subject  to  ratification  of  stockholders,  and  the  following  points   (*)  have 
been  brought  out: 

1.  "A  property  of  this  size  should  have  $1,500,000  to  $2,000,000  per 
year  available  to  meet  new  capital  requirements,  and  this  expenditure  is 
recommended  for  a  psriod  of  five  years  to  enable  the  Philadelphia  system  to 
then  be  in  a  position  ^o  raise  additional  future  capital  upon  its  own  credit." 

2.  "There  should  go  back  into  the  propsrty  for  maintenance  and  renew- 
als an  amount  equal  to  fifteen  per  cent,  of  its  gross  receipts,  which  is  about 
three  per  cent,  more  than  is  now  being  appropriated  by  the  company  for 
this  purpose." 

*  Electric  Railway  Journal,  Dec.  17,  1910. 


J 


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t; 


I-  ' 


180         PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


An  important  phase  of  rapid  transit  developments  in  Philadelphia 
for  the  immediate  future  is  the  legislation  now  under  contemplation  through 
which  the  city  will  be  empowered  by  Constitutional  amendment  to  increase 
its  borrowing  power  by  the  exemption  of  revenue  producing  bonds  from  the 
present  debt  limit. 

LOS  ANGELES.  The  Board  has  jurisdiction  over  thirty-one  public 
utilities,  aggregating  about  $65,000,000  in  physical  property,  four  of  these 
being  electric  railways. 

The  first  years  operations  have  largely  been  devoted  to  studies  and  con- 
ferences, and  the  Board  reports  that  the  Companies  are  more  inclined  than 
formerly  to  meet  legitimate  demands  when  all  the  facts  are  before  them. 

Overcrowding  is  attributed  largely  to  conditions  peculiar  to  Los  Angeles 
and  to  the  rapid  growth  of  the  City.  ,  xt  •  u 

The  extension  of  the  transfer  privilege  is  under  negotiation.  Neither 
the  California  Statutes  nor  the  City  Charters  include  specific  provisions  on 
the  transfer  question. 

A  traffic  conference  has  been  provided  for  to  include  members  of  the 
Board  and  officials  of  the  railway  Companies,  and  traffic  studies  have  been 
made  upon  which  to  base  future  negotiations. 

Standardizing  of  corporate  accounting  and  physical  valuation  has  been 
facilitated  by  the  preparation  of  forms  for  this  purpose,  the  latter  indicating 
extent,  reproduction  value,  accrued  depreciation  and  present  value  of  property 

Uniform  five  cent  fare  within  the  expanded  city  limits  is  under  considera- 
tion, especially  on  account  of  the  numerous  interurban  lines  entering  the  city 

The  handling  of  light  freight  traffic  over  the  railway  lines  is  a  problem 
before  the  Board.  While  the  necessity  is  conceded,  it  seems  desirable  to 
establish  channels  of  development  distinct  from  passenger  traffic.  In  this 
question  is  involved  the  elimination  of  grade  crossings. 

On  the  whole  the  expressed  attitude  of  the  Board  may  be  characterized 
as  concessionary  ra+her  than  arbitrary  as  securing  better  results  by  this 
than  by  any  other  method  of  procedure. 


INDEX. 


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111 ; 

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INDEX 


Accounting -.—Standard  form  Street  Railway  Accountants  Association,  60 
Uniform  system  of,  113. 

Acts  of  Legislature:— Special  Act  of  1871,  44;  Acts  of  1901-5-7-10,  59;  To 
allow  contracts  for  purchase,  59;  Companies  allowed  to  carry  treieht,  b\i\ 
Act  of  1874  authorizing  special  reports,  60. 

Accidents:— Should  report  to  Central  Control,  148;  System  of  recording,  154. 

Adequate  Service :— Summary,  1;  Insured  by  city's  right  to  purchase,  2; 
First  in  importance,  5;  Ahead  of  other  requirements  in  New  York,  «; 
Renewals,  adequate  service  and  improvements,  9;  Not  provided  m  fran- 
chises, 10;  Patron  believes  has  right  to  expect,  16;  Fundamental ,  19 ; 
Actual  investment  for,  19;  To  be  measured  in  delinite  terms,  69;  Public 
has  right  to  expect,  143;  Fixed  by  agreement,  144;  Secured  by  control,  14«; 

Advertising : — Earnings  from,  120. 

Agreements:— For  operation  by  Pittsburgh  Railways  Co.,  45 ;  To  fix  adequate 
service,  144;  Data  for  re-routing,  155;  On  principles  of  re-routing,  157; 
To  measure  service  by  income,  157. 

Allegheny:— Location  of  Pittsburgh,  27;  County  and  Pittsburgh  District, 
28;  Passenger  Railways  incorporated,  37;  Annexation  of,  49;  Crrowth  in 
County  population,  75;  Second  section  of  subway  to,  81;  Map  of  growth 
in  population,  140-141. 

American  Cities :— Growth  and  development  of,  73;  Comparison  of  traction 
results,  113;  Traction  results  compared,  113-139  including:  Baltimore. 
119  124,  133,  134;  Boston,  115,  117,  123,  124,  130;  Brooklyn,  121,  123, 
124  230,  140;  Buffalo,  124,  125,  130,  132,  140;  Chicago,  114,  Ho  11/,  118, 
126;  130,  131,  135,  143,  144;  Cleveland.  117,  126.  128,  130,  144;  Cincin- 
nati;  Detroit,  115,  117,  118.  119,  121,  130  1.32;  Milwaukee,  118,  128,  130, 
132  140;  New  Orleans,  134;  Philadelphia,  119,  121,  123,  124,  126,  130; 
Pittsburgh,  113-139;  St.  Louis,  113-139;  San  Francisco,  113,  139,  22b, 
130,  133;  Washington,  113-139. 

Amortization:— Of  subway  capital,  12;  Should  be  0.5%  to  1%  for  subways, 
82. 

Annexation: — Growth  of  Pittsburgh  by,  49. 

Analysis: — Of  present  situation,  67. 

Appreciation: — To  take  care  of  depreciation,  8. 

Appraisal: — Of    Pittsburgh    system — see  letter 
adequate  service,  5;  In  Chicago,  7. 

Articles  of  Association : — Requirements  of,  45. 

Area :— Showing  population  of  towns,  27;  Of  successive  annexations  to  Pitts- 
burgh, 49;  Of  city  41  square  miles,  50;  Of  American  cities,  122-123. 

Albany: — -Increase  in  income  per  capita,  142. 

Assessment:— To  build  extensions,  18;  For  permanent  way  at  least,  19; 
Upon  property  benefitted,  83;  For  building  subways,  146. 

Attorney  General  of  State: — Duties  of,  60. 

Automatic  Switches : — Installation  of — summary,  1 ;  Recommended  by  Com- 
mission, 63;  Mayor  Magee  inquires  about,  66; 

Average :— Length  of  ride,  11,  159;  Fare  in  various  cities,  127;  Fare  in  Pitts- 
burgh— Diagram  showing,  110;  Length  of  car  travel,  135. 

Axial  Growth: — Of  cities,  141. 


of    transmittal;   To  define 


Balance: — Maintained  by  regulating  body,  10;  Equitable  between  condi- 
tions, 18;  Constructive  program  to  maintain,  19;  To  be  struck  in  rapid 
transit,  145;  Between  interests  for  re-routing,  153;  System  of,  154. 


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184     THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


Baltimore: — Compared  with  other  cities,  113-137;  Local  park  tax,  119; 
Earnings  per  car  mile,  124;  Earnings  per  car,  133;  Low  car  miles  per  car, 
134;  Growth  in  population,  140-141. 

Baltimore  6c  Ohio: — Transfer  centers,  32;  Grade  separation  at  Thirty-third 
street,  65. 

Banks: — Diagram  showing  clearings  by  years,  94;  Monthly  record  of  clear- 
ings, 98;  Ratio  of  clearmgs  to  gross  earnings,  109;  Comparative  diagram, 
112. 

Beaver  Valley  Traction  Company: — Map  showing  location,  27;  Owned  by 
Philadelphia  Company,  44;  Not  operated  by  Philadelphia  Company.  43, 

Berlin: — Building  track  by  assessment,  19;  Population  on  dot  map,  30-310. 

Birmingham: — Electric  line  to,  41. 

Board: — Board  of  Supervising  Engineers,  Chicago,  7;  Complaint  body  to 
regulate,  10;  Supervision  by  authorized  Board,  14. 

Bonds: — City  self-supporting — summary,  2. 

Boston: — Supervision,  6;  Surface  traffic  transferred  to  elevated,  21;  Sub- 
ways, 82;  Percentage  of  fare  in  service,  115;  More  service  in  Boston  than 
Pittsburgh,  117;  Earnings  per  car  mile,  123;  Transfers  surface  to  ele- 
vated, 124;  Combined  earnings  less  than  Chicago  surface,  130. 

Braddock: — Second  Avenue  line  to,  41; 

Bridges: — Smithfield  Street — summary,  1;  Should  be  widened,  2;  Wooden 
ones  should  be  replaced,  3;  To  relieve  by  subways,  13;  Some  built  in 
1818,  29;  Compensation  to  be  paid,  58;  Tolls  for  eight  years,  88. 

Brooklyn: — Surface  traffic  to  elevated,  21;  Comparison  with  other  cities, 
113-137;  Seventy-one  miles  of  elevated  line,  121;  Earnings  per  car 
mile,  123 ;  Transfers  surface  to  elevated,  124 ;  High  earnings  per  mile 
of  track,  130;    Growth  in  population,  140-141. 

Buffalo :— Comparison  with  other  cities,  113-137;  Earnings  per  car  mile, 
124;  Large  amount  of  transfers,  125;  Low  earnings  per  mile  of  track, 
130;  Interurban  mileage,  132;  Growth  in  population,  140-141. 

Business : — Loss  during  panics,  43 ;  Lack  of  expected  earnings,  56 ;  Depres- 
sion,  56. 

Business  District :— Average  ride  from,  not  long,  11;  Subway  through,  12; 
Central  in  Pittsburgh,  49;  Loops  in,  56;  Center  in  each  city.  122-123; 
City  boundaries  and  business  center,  135;  Density  near,  138;  Movement 
to  and  from,  141;  Small  cars  kept  out  of,  157 ;  Short  haul  and  long  haul 
loops,  157;  Steam  roads, — rush  hour  seats  leaving,  86,  87;  Map  showing 
lines  radiating  from,  100-101;  Rush  hour  car  schedule  on,  162-163A. 


Cable  Lines :— Replace  horse  car  lines,  39;  First  and  second  cable  lines,  40; 
Electric  better  than  cable,  41;  Rebuilt  with  electric  lines,  53;  Diagram 
showing,    94. 

Gallery,  James  D.: — Head  of  Second  Avenue  line,  41;  Letter  to,  from  Mayor 
Magee,  64. 

Capitalization: — Value  of  perpetual  franchises,  10;  Increased  rapidly  from 
1887  to  1902,  52;  Over-capitalization,  54;  Regulated  by  Railroad  Com- 
mission, 115. 

Capital: — New  must  be  continuous,  3;  New  must  be  protected,  7-9;  Should 
be  available  in  advance,  7;  Future  capital  in  New  York,  8;  Pyramided 
capital  account,  9;  Changes  capitalized,  53;  Working,  19;  New  in  ad- 
vance of  needs,  24;  For  building  subways,  145. 

Capacity: — What  equipment  for,  143;  Trains  to  get  maximum,  146;  Rush 
hour  seats — steam  roads,  86-87. 

Capita  (per):— Income,  74,  80.  94,  139,  143;  Gross  earnings,  107;  Miles  of 
track,  107;  Car  Miles,  107;  Map  showing  location  of  income,  112-113B. 

Car  Miles: — Earnings  and  car  miles,  104;  Per  mile  of  track,  105;  Per  capita, 
107;  Run  ofT  mileage,  109;  Record  of  passenger  and  total,  122;  And 
earnings,  123;  Per  mile  of  track,  131;  Summary  of  comparisons,  137; 


INDEX 


185 


On  each  route,  156 ;  Transfers  to  cut  out  useless,  157 ;  Data  for  rerouting, 
155;  How  many  can  be  supplied,  158;  Diagram  showing,  95;  Record 
by  months,  98. 

Car  mile  (per): — Operating  cost,  trolley  and  subway,  74;  Gross  earnings  by 
months,  102;  Passengers  by  months,  102;  Operating  expenses,  102; 
Diagrams,  103;  Variation  in  earnings,  104;  Graphical  comparison  of 
cities,  122- 123 ;  Gross  earnings,  cities  compared,  136 ;  Operating  expenses, 
cities  compared,  136 ;  Passengers — all  cities  compared,  136. 

Cars : — More  and  larger,  1 ;  Heating,  ventilation  and  lighting,  1 ;  No  delay  in 
arranging  for  larger  cars,  2;  Some  becoming  obsolete,  3;  Steel  cars 
should  replace  wooden,  4;  Car  licenses,  13;  With  cross  seats  and  comfort- 
able, 16;  Taxes  in  Allegheny,  48;  Illegal  tax  in  Pittsburgh,  48;  Forbid- 
ding appearance  of,  56;  Long  cars  on  narrow  streets,  56;  Recommended 
by  commission,  62;  Annual  additions  to  be  made,  63;  Old  28-seat  cars 
should  be  replaced  with  56  seat  cars,  63;  Cars  should  be  cleaned  and 
repaired,  63 ;  Mayor  Magee  inquires  about,  65 ;  Trains  better  than  single 
cars  in  subway,  81;  Non-revenue,  83;  Size  of  cars  affecting  record,  133; 
Open  cars  and  closed  cars,  134;  Single  truck  still  operated,  153;  Data 
for  rerouting,  155;  Small  cars  for  shuttle  service,  157;  Number  of  East 
Liberty  express.  160;  Number  on  each  street  map,  162-163  A, 

Car  (per) : — Annual  earnings,  133 ;  Car  miles,  134. 

Car  houses: — Some  inadequate,  3;  Should  be  relocated,  4;  Data  for  re- 
routing,   155. 

Car  Trust  Notes: — Debentures  of  $40,000  per  year,  47;  In  Pittsburgh,  118. 

Castle  Shannon: — Track  mileage  to,  121. 

Census : — Compare  present  with  former,  85. 

Centers: — Cause  of  division  of  district  into,  30;  Create  short  haul  traffic,  32; 
Subway  to  connect,  79;  Cities  crystalize  in  centers,  142;  Each  city  has 
business  center,  122-123. 

Central  Passenger  Railway  Co. : — 39. 

Charleroi: — Track  Mileage  to,  121. 

Charters: — Should  be  record,  13;  First  in  1859,  51;  Rights  of  suburban  roads, 

58;  Route  specified  in,  59;  Charter  rights  to  streets,  59. 
Children: — Special  low  rates  for,  17. 

Chicago: — Settlement,  6;  Ordinances,  appraisal,  net  earnings,  7;  Board  of 
Supervising  Engineers,  7 ;  City's  share  and  future  traction,  7 ;  Share  of 
profits,  24;  First  steam  line  from  Pittsburgh,  29;  Dot  map  showing 
population,  30-31  B;  Return  to  companies,  114;  Service  rendered,  115; 
More  service  in  Chicago  than  in  Pittsburgh,  117;  Undergoing  rehabili- 
tation, 118;  In  Chicago  and  Pittsburgh.  126;  Earnings  per  mile  double 
Pittsburgh's,  130;  Used  tracks  to  best  advantage,  131;  Length  of  car 
travel,  135;  Increase  in  income  per  capita,  143;  Transfers  in,  144;  Digest 
of  settlement  ordinances  and  results  of.  Appendix  B,  163. 

Characteristics: — Of  each  route,  158. 

Cincinnati: — Compared  with  other  cities,  113-139. 

City  Credit:— Used  in  New  York,  82;  For  construction  and  equipment,  83; 
For  building  subways,  145. 

City  Plan: — Report  upon  to  Pittsburgh  Civic  Commission,  61;  City  Planning" 
and  Transportation,  141;  City  Plan  for  Pittsburgh,  142;  Depends  upon 
public  control,  147. 

Citizens  Passenger  Railway  Company: — Incorporated  in  1859,  37. 

Civic  Commission: — Report  to,  61;  Answer  to  que.stions  of,  143. 

Civic  Improvement: — Subways  eventually  necessary,  79. 

City's  Share:— In  Chicago,  557o  of  net,  7;  Chicago's  share  amounts  to 
$5,000,000,  8;  Taxes  in  Pittsburgh,  47;  In  Chicago,  114-115. 

Cleveland : — Settlement,  6 ;  Result  of  traction  ordinances,  8 ;  Service  compared 
to  Pittsburgh,  117;  Pay  transfers  in,  126;  Low  fare  and  reorganization, 
128;  High  earnings  per  mile  of  track,  130 ;  Transfers  in,  144;  Trial  period 
of  fares.  144;  Digest  of  settlement  ordinances,  and  results  of.  Appendix 
B,  163. 


'  * 


i  i 


i   4 


186     THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


Consolidated  Traction   Co.: — Chartered,   43;   Rentals   paid  on  account  of, 

46;  Growth  in  mileage,  100. 
Conferences: — Recommended  by  Railroad  Commission,  64;  Official  for  re- 
routing, 153. 
Counts: — Of  passengers  on  individual  cars,  158;  Typical  counts,  160;  Shown 

graphically.  162-163D. 
Comparisons: — Of  expenditures,  93;  Comparative  yearly  records — banks, 
steel,  freight,  telephones,  post  office  and  railway  earnings,  112;  Of  trac- 
tion results,  113-137;  Diagram  of  cities  compared,  136;  Graphical  on 
car  mile  basis,  122-123;  Size  of  cities  on  same  scale.  122-123;  Summary 
of  results,  137;  Of  traction  ordinances,  Appendix  B,  163. 
Commissions  :—5ee  Civic  Commission,  Public  Service  Commission,  Rail- 
road Commission;  Comparative  digest  of  powers,  duties  and  results  of 
municipal  and  State.  Appendix  B,  163. 

Clearances: — Between  rail  and  curb,  1. 

Control:— By  commission,  summary,  2;  Not  provided  in  franchises,  10; 
By  regulating  body,  10;  Railroad  Commission's  Act  recommended.  14; 
Machinery  for  untimate  centralized,  14;  Zone  system  of  operation  if 
one  control,  21;  Logical  method  of,  23;  Control  through  leases  and  stock 
ownership,  46;  Present  lack  of,  51;  Public  control  to  insure  service,  68; 
To  initiate  improvements,  70;  Public  control  before  zone  system.  146; 
Principles  of  complete.  148;  Complete  public  control  essential,  149. 

Compensation :— Profit  sharing  better,   17 ;  Could  be  fixed  in  franchise.  52. 

Comprehensive  plan  and  program:— For  reorganization,  11;  First  require- 
ments. 12-  Conditions  plan  should  fulfill.  16;  For  both  City  and  its 
transportation,  73;  Necessary  for  City  plan,  147;  Re-routing  plan  as 
necessary.  153;  For  re-routing,  154. 

Courts :— Legal  developments— summary,  2;  Rights  in  court.  2;  Decision 
to  determine  requirements.  12;  Su.preme  Court  decides  track  tax,  57; 
Lower  court  decides  transfer  case,  58. 

Company's  share  or  return :— Boston,  Chicago  and  Pittsburgh  compared,  6; 
Various  cities  compared,  114. 

Congestion: — Elevated  roads  in  center,  11;  Subways  in  business  district,  13; 
Reduced  by  good  transportation,  17;  Certain  density  desirable,  31; 
Little  danger  in  Pittsburgh,  30-31A;  Loops  in  business  district  56; 
At  centers  of  cities,  141;  Anticipated  or  reduced,  145;  Location  of  car 
congestion,  162-163  A. 

Contraction :— And  expansion  of  cities,  141;  Short  haul  routes  and  contrac- 
tion.  138. 

Co-operation :— Policy  of— summary,  2;  Conferences  between  city  and  com- 
pany. 64,  71;  Why  company  and  city  should  act  together,  68;  To  ar- 
range re-routing,  144;  Necessary  for  re-routing,  153. 

Competition :— No  district  should  have  two  systems,  18;  Period  of  1891  to 
1896,  41;  Poor  civic  policy,  146;  Eliminated  by  control,  148;  Extensions 
to  keep  out,  54. 

Connections:— Need  for  new,  51;  Requested  by  company,  66;  Data  for  re- 
routing,  155. 

Cost  to  Reproduce :— To  determine  adequate  service,  5;  Tendencies  toward 
valuation.  19;  Larger  than  present  value,  55. 

Cost  of  Construction :— Amount  to  be  added  for  subways,  12. 

Combined  Operation :— City  should  get  some  benefit,  33;  Period  1902-10,  43. 

Corporate  History:— Investigation  should  be  made,  13;  Briefly  recapitu- 
lated, 44;  Corporate  structure  never  investigated,  53. 

Comfort: — Important  consideration,   16. 

Consent: — Municipal  for  routes,  59;  Local  for  extensions,  59. 

Consolidation:— Period  1896  to  1902,  43;  Era  of  1887  to  1902,  52;  Should  be 
under  control.  148. 


INDEX 


187 


Curves : — See  lists  of  Illustrations  at  end  of  index. 

Daft: — System   of  electric  traction,  40.    See  frontispiece. 

Damages: — Requirements  provided  for.  10. 

Data: — For  re-routing.  154. 

Dead  mileage: — Data  for  re-routing.  155. 

Debt  Limit: — Subway  bonds  independent  of.  12. 

Deduction: — From  income,  record  of,  88;  Analysis  of,  91. 

Deficit:— Pittsburgh's  13.2%.  7;  Carried  by  holding  company,  10;  Will 
create  crisis,  70;  First  deficit  in  1904.  43;  Accumula'-ing  for  last  three 
years.  44;  In  subways  must  be  offset  by  later  profits,  83;  Account  for 
8  years.  88;  For  year  1910,  91;  Of  Philadelphia  and  Pittsburgh,  116; 
If  Pittsburgh  deficit  is  disregarded,  138. 

Defects: — Long  catalogue  of  could  be  prepared,  4;  To  correct  fundamental 
defects,  9;  Development  of,  54;  Cumulative.  57. 

Density  of  Cars: — Car  service,  131. 

Density  of  Population: — As  shown  by  dot  map,  30-31;  Pittsburgh,  Berlin. 
Chicago,  30-31  A,  B,  C;  Growth  and  density  shown  by  map,  30-31D; 
In  Pittsburgh  and  New  York,  80. 

Density  of  Traffic: — Profits  deferred  until  density  increases.  9;  Efficient 
insured  by  transfers.  13;  Economical  limits  of.  21;  Reduces  fixed  charges. 
22;  Control  subway  operating  ratio,  81;  On  suburban  branches,  86; 
Summary  of  comparisons,  138;  Near  business  center,  138;  When  will 
it  justify  rapid  transit,  144;  Most  efficient  by  use  of  transfers,  147; 
Transfers  to  secure  most  efficient,  157. 

Depreciation: — No  provision  in  organization,  4;  Past  and  future,  4;  Must 
provide  fund,  7;  Still  to  be  determined  in  New  York,  8;  Fund  in  Cleve- 
land. 8;  Offset  by  appreciation,  8;  Past  depreciation  and  future  earn- 
ings. 9;  Importance  with  new  order,  9;  Future  taken  care  of  in  reor- 
ganization, 10;  Fund  can  no  longer  be  neglected,  23 ;  About  $1,000,000 
per  year,  55;  Will  create  crisis  with  surface  system,  70;  on  subway  equip- 
ment, 82;  Requires  10%  of  earnings,  93;  Of  various  cities  compared, 
115;  In  Chicago  and  foot  note,  115. 

Destination: — Map  showing  for  one  day.  112-113A. 

Detroit :— Comparison   with    other  cities.    113.    139;   Percentage  of  fare  in 

service,  115;  More   service  in    Detroit  than    Pittsburgh.  117;   Reserves 

for  depreciation,    118;   Low   taxes  in,    119;   Auxiliary   tracks  in,    121; 

Low  earnings  per  mile  of  track,  130:  Interurban  mileage,  132. 

Depreciated  Value : — To  determine  adequate  service,  5 ;  Basis  for  reorgam- 

zation.  9;  Or  present  value,  19. 
Developments: — Rapid  transit — summary.  1;  Legal — summary.  2;  Cost  of 
subway  development,  12;  Of  public  opinion,  51,  54;  Surface  traction 
in  Pittsburgh,  35;  Of  suburban  districts  depends  upon.  17;  Expenses 
should  influence  return,  18;  Of  city  legislation.  57;  Of  State  legislation, 
59;  Of  State  regulation,  60;  Future  transit,  73;  Subways  natural  devel- 
opment. 79;  In  apartment  building,  80;  Conflicting  in  city,  141;  Of 
city  retarded  by  poor  service,  145;  Charges  for  non- paying  operation, 
145;  Lack  of  policy  for  future,  149;  Should  be  under  control.  148;  In 
public  utility  control,  State  and  municipal.  Appendix  B.  163. 

Diagonal  Lines: — Natural  design,  142. 

Diagrams : — See  list  of  illustrations  at  end  of  index. 

Direct  System: — Transfer  system  better,  21;   Of  routing  cars — map,  162- 

163B. 
Discount:— Miscellaneous   interest  and,   47;  Account  for  eight  years,   88; 

Must  be  reduced.  93. 
Discount  Fund: — To  offset  discount  on  securities,  82. 
Dividends: — Future  must  be  sacrificed.  9;  On  stocks  of  Consolidated  and 

United  Traction,  46;  Of  various  city  systems,  116;  On  investments,  120. 


VI 


I* 


I",  1 

ft        F 

I,'  f 

it  .' 


iii  • 
It  .if 

1;  f 


I'l 


i  I  ■    ! 


188    THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


TTornincr.— Double  when  poou  ation  increases  50%    4;  Were  increasing  at 

Earnings,    .^o^^^^^^^f^!^"    »    4^-  Excess  should  be  devoted  to  service,   17; 

time  of  combination    8,  4d,  ^.^^^^;/"^/'^,  ,  __,_    79.  Depends  upon 

Tn<-rpa«^e  as  sQuare  of  population,  74;  Ot  sub\\a>s,  /y,  y^f^"^Q"^Q-. 

Increase  a-s  squdic  u    y j'  gg.    Annual  record  since   1881,  95, 

pariins,'l37;   Growth   of    ^l^''^"°\:"'"Z  Z% 

Earnings  per  Mile  of  Track :-130;  Approaching  $20,000.  54. 

FQmim>-<:  oer  CalSita: — See  income  per  capita. 

IZiZ  per  ^r:-Various  cities  compared,  133;  Data  for  re-routmg,  155. 

IZnS  per  Car  Mile  :-Graphical  analysis,  123;  Not  an  exact  measure. 
12V  Table  of  various  cities,  124;  Data  for  re-routing,  155. 

East  uJrSt-Horse  car  line  to,  37;  Density  of  population,  80;  First  sec- 
tion of  subway  to,  81;  Count  of  express  route,  160. 

East  Pittsburgh:— Second  street  car  hne  to,  41. 

Economy  :-Economical  limits,  19;  And  efficient  management,  25. 

wi»r.tmlvsis— Avoid  by  return  and  rail  joint,  4. 

Elect^  Railroads°-One  of  the  first  in  country,  40;  Daft  system.  40;  Diagram 

^'^hi  years.  94;  In  city  plan  for  PitJ^bu^gh   14  ^_ 

^^^^*^?t^^rn^7lToT5:dlisibiriinST7fFu°ture  service  and  down- 
townterm'inals,  86;Willbeslow,  145.  77.  p„ 

ElevXd  Roads  :-Building  limited,  11;  For  single  car  operation.  77.  Pre- 

liminary  report  upon,  78. 

4;  In  Cleveland,  8,  Froviaea  lor  in  >w^'6^  .      ,       '     essments,   19;  At 

stricted,  17;  From  e^-^^^^f '•"'"S!;,^^ '    ^n^^^^^^^ 

rate  of  20  miles  per  year  44    Non-payingand  over  ^  P         g. ,  ^.^^ 

by  resolution  pnor  to   1895,  59    buggest^^  ^^y_^       P^  g^;    At  least 

grows,   69     Or   subways,  /»,    -^^  ,       ,^«.    cuoviirL   be   under    con- 

12,500,000  per  year    for  improvements,    143,    bhouia    oe 
trol    148;  Provisions  for  extensions,  154.  no.    m 

troi.  i-io,     /^  M^.vf^r    pxreeded    4%    of    earnings,    93;    in 

Extraordinary    Maintenance :— Never    exceeaea    -t /o 

Pittsburgh,  118.  ^-  ^^    ic 

record,  90;  Summary  of  comparisons,  1^/. 
Experimental:— Period  1887-91,  39- 
Exploitation :-Day  for  is  passed.  25;  Period  of  1891-96,  41.    ., 

F 

Fair  Return  :-In  Chicago.  8 ;  On  investment  55 ;  Rehabilitation  and  improve- 

ments.  69;  Should  ^^  ^^^^^^^^l^^^^' ^    ,^,,  Right  to  fix  denied  by 
Fare -.-Lower  than  five  <^«"t^  "^^^^^^^^^^  on  five  cent  fare,  17;  Three 

rtTar^:20TV^°rTL^Xf^^^^^^^^^  ^^^^--  '"'^  ^^^  ^^  ^°"^- 


INDEX 


189 


petition,  41;  Could  be  fixed  in  franchise,  52;  Diagram  of,  110;  Percent- 
age of  fare  for  service,  115-116;  Average  in  various  cities,  127;  Two 
bases  for  computing,  127;  "Revenue  fare"  and  "fare  per  ride",  127; 
In  excess  of  five  cents,  128;  Five  cent  or  zone  system,  116;  Should  be 
fixed  by  control,  148;  Total  collected  individual  trip,  159. 

Federal  Street  &  Pleasant  Valley  Passenger  Railway  Co. : — 39. 

Financial: — Program  should  be  determined  upon,  4;  Pittsburgh  plan  45.8% 
fixed  charges,  6 ;  Recapitulation  of  requirements,  7 ;  Problem  as  import- 
ant as  legal,  13;  Requirements  dictate  rate  of  fare,  17;  Development 
expenses,  19;  Operating  records.  19;  Restrictions  for  subway,  79; 
Considerations  for  subway,  81;  Stringencies  in  1893,  1904,  1908,  95; 
Results  in  American  cities  compared,  114,  116;  Policy  for  rapid  transit, 
145. 

First  Cost: — Of  subways,  79;  Depends  upon,  84.^ 

Fiscal  Year: — Accounts  for  eight  years,  88;  Analysis  of  result  in  1910,  91; 
Of  various  traction  reports,  114. 

Ford  Bacon  &  Davis: — Population  data,  30-31  D;  Passenger  count  made  for 
one  day,  112-113  A;  Distribution  of  passenger  earnings,  112-113B. 

Fixed  Charges: — Actual  amount  in  Pittsburgh,  7:  To  relieve  excessive  on 
subways,  12;  Per  car  mile  must  not  be  excessive,  21;  Must  be  reduced 
to  fair  return,  25 ;  Net  earnings  sufficient  to  pay,  43 ;  Analyzed,  55 ;  Of 
subways  depends  upon,  84 ;  Last  year  amounted  to  45%  of  earnings,  93 ; 
Of  various  cities  compared  to  Pittsburgh,  116;  Should  be  under  control, 
149. 

Fox,  John  P.:— Article  in  Pittsburgh  Survey,  61;  Count  of  East  Liberty 
Express  route,  160;  Standing  load  data  furnished  by,  162-163D. 

Franchises:— Perpetual,  10;  Should  be  recorded,  13;  Values  to  be  efiminated, 
17;  Pa5mients  not  as  good  as  profit  sharing,  17;  Little  left  of  franchise 
values,  23;  "As  good  as  a  gold  mine",  24;  First  franchises,  52;  Transfer 
of,  53 ;  Said  to  be  exclusive  and  perpetual ,  45 ;  Requirements  in  outlying 
boroughs,  56;  Rights  of  suburban  roads,  58;  Applications  for  additional, 
64;  Mayor  Magee  inquires  about,  65;  Indeterminate  with  right  of  pur- 
chase, 70;  Length  of  subway  franchise,  83;  Should  be  under  control, 
148;  Data  for  re-routing,  155, 

Free: — Transportation  to  city  employes,  17;  Transfers  by  years,  97;  Record 
of  tickets  and  transfers.  111;  Tickets  to  employes,  127. 

Freight: — Companies  have  rightjto  carry,  59;  Earnings  from,  120. 

Frequency :— Of  suburban  service,  86,  87;  Of  service,  132;  Summary  of  com- 
parisons, 138.  '  .^'1  !»-^|iJl^''j    j 

Future: — Surface  railway  improvements — summary,  1,  3;  Rapid  transit 
development,  1,  11;  Renewals  out  of  earnings,  1;  Growth  of  District 
depends  on  surface  system,  3;  Of  surface  system  depends  on  plan,  3; 
Special  fund  for  development,  Chicago,  7;  Capital  in  New  York,  8; 
Future  earnings  for  past  depreciation,  9;  Information  for  regulation,  14; 
Probabk  improvements,  19;  Of  sjj^stem  too  heavily  capitalized,  33; 
At  time  of  combination  was  promising,  43 ;  Transit  Developments,  73 ; 
Possibilities  of  earnings,  73;  Expenditure  for  transit  facilities,  75;  Of 
surface  system,  76;  Total  return  out  of  future  earnings,  116;  Earnings 
of  Pittsburgh  system,  140-141A. 


Grade  Separation : — Trolley  and  steam  roads  summary,  1 ;  Should  be  no  delay, 
2;  Recommended  by  commission,  63,64;  At  Try  street,  65;  At  Thirty- 
third  Street  and  Liberty,  65. 

General  Discussion: — The  Transportation  Problem,  15. 

Gross  Earnings: — Record  for  eight  years,  88;  Diagram  showing,  94;  Table  of 
monthly,  95;  Per  car  mile— monthly,  102;  Ratio  of  operating  expenses, 
109;  Ratio  of  bank  clearings  to,  'l09;  Various  cities  compared,  120; 
Revenue  car  miles,  123;  Diagram  of  cities  compared,  136. 

Greater  Pittsburgh: — With  a  central  business  district,  49. 


190     THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


Growth— Of  city  restricted  by,  17;  Of  population  shown  by  map,  30-31D; 
Of  track  mileage,  41;  Of  Pittsburgh  by  annexation,  49;  Of  mcome  from 
transportation,  74;  Rate  of  future,  75;  Study  rate  of  growth  by  census, 
85-  Diagram  showing  population  and  earnmgs,  94;  Of  track  mileage, 
diagram,  101;  Of  steel  tonnage,  diagram,  101;  Earnings  and  population, 
133;  Of  population  and  earnings  various  cities,  140- 141A  •  Ut  popula- 
tion various  cities  by  curves,  140-141B;  Of  city  and  district  141; 
Growing  demands  for  service,  143;  Continuous  growth  in  population, 
145;  Should  it  be  influenced?  145;  Constant  growth  necessary,  147; 
Depends  on  public  control,  149. 

Guaranteed:— Rentals  in  Pittsburgh,  8;  Earnings  sufficient  to  pay  rentals, 
43 ;  Dividends  to  secure  control,  53. 

Guthrie,  George  W.,  Mayor :— Report  to,  61;  Complaints  by,  62. 

H 

Headway :— Should  be  regulated,  62;  In  winter  schedule  requested  65;  Of 
trains  graphically,  86;  What  one-minute  headway  means,  131;  Inde- 
pendent of  speed,  131;  On  East  Liberty  Express,  160. 

Heating:— Cars,  summary,  1;  Should  be  no  delay,  2;  Recommended  by  Com- 
mission, 63. 

Holding  Company :— Help  of,  9;  Philadelphia  Company,  9;  United  Railways 
Investment  Co.,  10;  Incorporated  1902,  44. 

Homestead:— Small  competing  car  line,  30;  Second  Avenue  line  to,  41. 

Horse  Car  Lines :— Pittsburgh  among  first.  29 ;  Period  1859  to  1887,  35;  Wid- 
ener  &  Elkins  secured  control,  39;  Original  lines,  53;  Diagram  showing 
years,  94;  Earnings  per  mile  of  track,  105.     See  jronitsptece. 

Hurd,  R.  M.:— Principles  of  City  land  values,  147. 

I 

Illustrations  :~See  list  at  end  of  index. 

Immediate:— Surface  railway  improvements— summary,   1;  Needs  covered 

by  previous  reports,  2 ;  Should  be  no  delay,  2.  ^ 

Improvements  :-Immediate  needs,  1 ;  Surface  railway  immediate-summary 
1-  Surface  railway  future— summary,  1;  Must  be  constant,  3;  At  least 
$2  500  000  new  money  each  year,  3,  143;  In  track  construction  and 
pacing  3;  Probable  requirements,  19;  Mayor  Magee  inquires  about, 
65;  Latest  standard  improvements,  69;  Available  for  rapid  transit,  77; 
Should  be  under  control,  148. 

Income:— Probable,  19;  Increases  as  square  of  population,  74 ;  Per  mile  of 
track  can  be  increased,  77;  General  account  for  past  eight  years  88, 
Comparison  of  American  cities,  120;  "From  other  sources  ,  120;  Van- 
ous  cities  compared  graphically,  122-123;  Relation  between  income  and 
service    154-  How  much  available  for  service,  158. 

Income  per' Capita  :-Diagram  showing,  94;  Increases  directly  as  Population. 
74;  From  "sleeping  population",  80;  Map  showing  location,   112-113B 
Can  be  increased  by  improved  service.  139;  Can  be  increased  by  good 
service,   143. 

Income  (or  Earnings)  per  car  mile :— Used  instead  of  revenue  passengers 
per  car  mile,  129;  Record  of  monthly,  102. 

Indeterminate  Franchise:— "Tenure  during  good  behavior",  70;  For  build- 
ing subways,   146. 

Inspectors: — Recommended  by  Commission,  62. 

Inclines:-For  canal  boats,  27;  South  Hills  depends  upon,  40;  Earmngs 
included  in  table,  96;  Pay  transfers  to,  127; 

Interconnection : — Between  centers,  142.  .  ,    ■,  r      • 

Interest  :-Rate,  5%  in  Chicago.  7;  Order  o^mportance  9;  Provided^or  m 
reorganization,  10;  Lowest  rate  for  subways,  12;  Rate  being  reduced 
hv  use  of  citv  credit  28;  Of  Consolidated  and  United  Traction,  46; 
plymLfof  interestbut  not  principal,  47 ;  On  funded  debt,  47 ;  On  funded 


INDEX 


191 


debt  and  miscellaneous,  55;  On  cost  of  subways,  82;  Account  for  eight 
years,  88;  On  investments,  120;  Should  be  fixed  by  control,  148. 

Interurban: — Track  mileage,  121;  Registration  of  fares,  128:  Mileage  de- 
creases frequently,  132. 

Investment: — Actual  assured  fair  return,  10;  Original — fundamental,  19; 
Actual  for  adequate  service,  19;  In  building  up  system,  33;  Per  dollar 
earned,  54,  75;  Fair  return  on,  55;  Annual  requirements  for,  76;  Interest 
on,  120;  At  least  $2,500,000  per  year,  143;  To  protect,  needs  a  plan,  144. 


Joint  use: — Of  subways  with  other  systems,  84. 

K 

Knoxville: — First  electric  line  to,  40.     See  frontispiece. 


Land  Values: — Population  and  taxes,  31;  To  justify  apartment  building, 
80 ;  Study  increase  in.  85 ;  Affected  by  transportation,  147 ;  R.  M.  Hurd 
in  city  values,  147. 

Larger  Cars: — Summary,  1;  Gradual  addition  to,  56;  Reduces  cost  seat 
mile,  74. 

Leases: — In  Pittsburgh,  8;  Cancelled  to  reorganize,  10;  Should  be  record, 
13;  Of  companies  to  Consolidated  and  United  Traction,  46;  Terms 
never  inquired  into,  53;  Made  to  secure  monopoly  control,  53;  Equip- 
ment purchased  at  end  of,  83;  Subw^ay  could  be  leased,  146. 

Legislation: — Has  not  provided  control  in  Penna,.  10;  For  city  built  subway, 
12,  14;  To  avoid  confiscation,  13;  To  extend  limits  of  city,  14;  To  estab- 
lish commissions,  23;  By  City.  57;  Development  of  state  laws,  59; 
establishing  Railroad  Commission,  60 ;  For  City's  right  to  issue  subway 
bonds,  84;  for  control — next  important  step,  149;  Digest  of  State  and 
municipal,  with  results  of,  Appendix  B,  163. 

Length  of  Car  Travel: — Of  steam  suburban  routes,  86;  Pittsburgh  and  Chi- 
cago, 135;  Summary  of  comparisons,  138;  Data  for  re-rou"ing,  155; 
Record  of  individual  trip,  159. 

Licenses: — Court  decision  to  decide,  13;  Tax  of  $60  per  car,  57;  Should  be 
under  control,   148. 

Lighting: — Of  cars — summary',  1;  Should  be  no  delay,  2;  Recommended  by 
Commission,  63. 

Legal: — Development — Summary,  2,  13;  Expenses,  fundamental,  19. 

Limits : — City  should  be  extended,  14. 

Loading  facor : — Of  different  routes,  157. 

Logarithmic: — Plot  of  population  and  earnings,  140- 141  A. 

Long  Haul: — On  rapid  transit  lines,  13;  Losses  of,  17;  Length  of  through 
routes  in  Chicago,  135;  Routes  with  short  loops,  157. 

Loops: — Congested,  62;  Commission  recommends  short  loops,  63;  Routes 
and  loops,  157;  Present  in  downtown  district,  162-163A. 

Los  Angeles: — -Digest  of  traction  ordinance,  and  results  of,  Appendix  B,  163. 

M 

Magee,  William  A.,  Mayor: — Reports  to,  61;  Complaints  of,  62;  Letter  to 
President  Callery,  65;  Letter  on  Rapid  Transit  to,  77. 

Mail: — Earnings  from,  120. 

Maintenance: — Of  cars  and  tracks,  2;  Importance  of,  9;  Reduced  by  subr 
stantial  construction,  16;  Expenses,  probable,  19;  Reduced  by  lighter 
cars,  21;  Has  been  neglected,  44;  Present  property,  51;  Of  equipment 
and  track  neglected,  56;  Account  for  eight  years,  88;  Summaiy  of 
comparisons,    138. 


192     THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


;/ 


INDEX 


193 


4 


V 


n  r 


m 


Maintaining:— Of  schedules,  1;  Should  be  no  delay,  2. 

Maps : — See  list  of  illusiratiofis  at  end  of  index. 

Massachusetts:— Railroad  Commission,  digest  of  powers,  Appendix  B    163. 

Mayors:- George  W.  Guthrie,  61,  62;  William  A.  Magee,  61,  62,  65,  67.  ' 

McKeesport:— Small  competing  car  line,  30;  Second  Avenue  line  to    41- 

Growth  in  population,  140,  141. 
Mileage:— 5^^  cars— Tracks. 
Mile  of  Track  (Per) :— Gross  earnings.   105;  Population,   105;  Revenue  car 

?Qo    o       •  ^^^"^ngs,  various  cities,  130;  Annual  car  miles,  131;  Cars 

I6i\  Revenue  car  miles,  cities  compared,  136;  Gross  earnings,  cities 

compared,   136. 

Milwaukee:— Reserves  for  depreciation,  118;  Registration  of  interurban 
i^^n^V  '  ^^  tickets  for  25  cents,  123;  Low  earnings  per  mile  of  track, 
1^0;  Interurban  mileage,  132;  Growth  in  population,  140,  141. 

Monopoly  control :— Purpose  of  combination,  8;  Tendency  toward  53- 
urban  transportation  natural  monopoly,  18,  148. 

Mount  Oliver:— First  electric  line  to,  40. 

Municipal  .—Tendency  toward  ownership,  24;  Consent,  59;  Operation  of 
subways,  83;  Construction  of  subways,  83;  Improvement.  141;  Taxes 
should  increase,  147;  Regulation  of  utilities,  digest  and  results  of.  Ap- 
pendix B,  163. 

Monongahela  River :— Location  of  Pittsburgh.  27. 

Monthly  ^-Gross  earnings  table,  96;  Passengers  carried,  97;  Traffic  record, 
yy;  Record,  earnings  per  car  mile,  102;  Passengers  per  car  mile,  102. 

N 

Net  earnings:— Divided  with  city,  7;  Actual,  not  excessive,  55;  In  subways 
depends  upon,  83 ;  Account  for  eight  years,  88. 

New  Orleans:— River  packets  to,  29;  Compared  with  other  cities.  113-137: 
High  car  miles  per  car,  134. 

Non-revenue :— Other  than  passenger  cars.  122. 

New  York:— Receivership  of  surface  lines,  8;  Results  of  Public  Service  Com- 
mission, 8;  Petition  to  build  by  assessment,  19;  Continuous  ride  of  17* 
miles,  22;  Fare  and  density  of  subway  traffic,  22;  Density  of  population, 
80;  Subways  in,  82;  Total  annual  earnings  nearly  $50,000,000,  120;  Size 
and  configuration,  122-123;  Growth  in  population,  140,  141;  Public  Ser- 
vice Commission,  digest  of  powers,  Appendix  B,  163. 

North  Side :— Eight  square  miles,  50. 

North  Side  Traction  Co.:— Taxes  of,  47. 


Obsolescence :— Future  must  be  provided  for,  5. 

Ohio  River: — Pittsburgh  at  headwaters,  27. 

One  City:— One  fare,  one  district,  one  system,  33;  One  fare  for  entire 
system,  16 ;  Is  it  reasonable  to  expect,  144 ;  Principle  can  be  adopted,  157, 

Operating  expenses :— Not  including  taxes  and  depreciation,  6;  In  Boston, 
Chicago  and  Pittsburgh,  6;  Lower  at  time  of  combination,  8;  Probable, 
19 ;  Less  per  car  mile  in  subway,  21 ;  Of  subways,  79 ;  Depends  on  density 
of  traffic;  81;  Account  for  eight  years,  88;  Per  revenue  car  mile,  102; 
Gross  earnings  and  operating  expenses,  109;  Subdivided  into  three 
classes,  117;  Percentage  of  gross  earnings,  117;  Operating  ratios  com- 
pared, 117;  Compared  graphically,  122-123;  Plotted  graphically,  124; 
Per  revenue  car  mile,  125 ;  Diagram  of  cities  compared,  136. 

Operation: — Private  operation  of  subway,  83;  Records  of,  87;  Should  be 
under  control,  148. 

Operator: — What  secures  best  results,  16;  Best  policy  for,  24. 

Ordinances: — In  Chicago  for  settlement,  7;  First  ordinance  in  Pittsburgh, 
52;  1890-93-1903-06-10,  57;  Regulating,  before  court,  58;  In  Chicago, 


fixing  investment  and  return,  115;  Digest  and  results  of  settlement  ordi- 
nances in  Chicago,  Cleveland,  Philadelphia,  Los  Angeles,  Appendix  B. 
163. 

Origin :— Cities  develop  about  origin,  122,  123;  Of  cities,  141. 

Outlying  Districts : — Passengers  to  in  minimum  time,  17 ;  T^o  or  more  fares 
to,  17;  Limiting  further  advancement,  31;  Isolated  communities,  32 
Extension  into,  53;  Franchise  requirements,  56;  Population  tributary 
to.   112-113B. 

Overhead  Construction : — Needs  replacing,  3. 

Overcrowding:— In  New  York  Subway  and  remedy,  22;  Objected  to  by  city, 
48;  Excessive  at  certain  times,  153. 


Panics:— Depressing  effect  of,  41;  Loss  of  business,  43;  Of  1903  and  1904, 
43;  Diagram  showing,  95;  Shown  in  comparative  diagram,  112. 

Paris: — Average  subway  haul  less  than  two  miles,  22;  Average  fare  equiva- 
lent to  two  cents  per  mile,  22;  Universal  free  transfers,  22. 

Passengers :— Record  by  months,  97;  Diagram  showing  monthly,  98;  Per 
revenue  car  mile  by  months,  102;  Classified  as  to  fare.  111;  Movement 
for  typical  day,  112-113  A;  Revenue,  transfer  and  total,  126;  Per  reven- 
ue car  mile,  129;  Per  car  mile  comparison  of  cities,  136;  Summary  of 
comparison,  137;  Data  for  re-routing,  155;  On  each  route,  156;  Rela- 
tion between  maximum  and  average  number,  158 ;  Count  boarding  and 
leaving  cars,  159. 

Patron: — What  he  expects,  16;  What  he  should  learn,  24. 

Pavement: — Improved — summary,  1;  Dilapidated  condition,  3;  Impedes 
vehicle  traffic,  3;  Courts  to  decide,  13;  Surface  railway  to  maintain,  17; 
Maintenance  inheritance  from  horse  car  davs,  23;  Required  by  ordinance 
of  1890,  57;  Suits  to  compel  repair,  58;  Mayor  Magee  inquires  about,  65; 
Should  be  under  control,  148. 

Peak: — Loads  should  not  be  excessive,  16;  Seats  during  peak  loads,  162- 
163B. 

Pennsylvania,  State  of: — Requirements  of  constitution,  51;  First  canal 
boat   1829,  27;  Railroad  Commission,  digest  of  powers,  Appendix  B. 

Pennsylvania  Companies: — Chartered  in  1871,  45. 

Pennsylvania  Railroad: — Purchased  canal  basin,  27;  Reached  Pittsburgh 
in  1854,  29 ;  Largest  share  of  suburban  business,  12. 

Per  mile  of  track : — See  miles  of  track. 

Per  Revenue  car  mile: — See  Revenue  car  miles. 

Per  Car : — See  Car. 

Per  capita : — See  Capita. 

Percentage  of  Earnings: — What  proportion  for  service,  5;  70%  for  service, 
taxes  and  depreciation  in  Chicago,  7;  Required  by  franchise  for  city,  58. 

Perpetual  Franchises: — No  period  of  expiration,  10;  "Rights"  of,  10; 

Percentages  (Comparison  of  American  Cities) : — Diagram  of  distribution  of 
expenditures,  93;  For  maintenance  of  equipment,  93;  For  maintenance 
of  way,  93;  For  transportation  and  power,  93;  For  general  expenses, 
93;  For  bridge  tolls,  93;  For  taxes,  93;  Run  off  car  miles  by  months, 
109;  Free  transfers  in  percent  of  revenue  passengers,  110;  Of  total  in- 
come for  fixed  charges  and  dividends,  U6;  Of  total  income  for  surplus 
or  deficit;  116;  Of  total  income  made  by  company,  116;  Of  gross  earn- 
ings for  transportation  and  power,  117;  Of  gross  earnings  for  operating 
expenses,  117;  Of  gross  earnings  for  depreciation,  119;  0£  gross  earnings 
for  taxes,  119;  Of  gross  earnings  for  passenger  earnings,  120;  Of  total 
income  from  gross  earnings,  120;  of  total  track  mileage  for  operated 
track,  121;  Of  total  car  mileage  for  revenue  mileage,  122;  Of  total  rides 
for  revenue  passengers,  126;  Of  revenue  passengers  taking  transfers, 
126;  Of  motor  cars  recorded  for  trailers,  122. 

Philadelphia  Company,  The; — Holding  Company,  9;  Map  showing  electric 


f  ! 


Wf 


194     THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


railway  system,  34-35;  Secured  stock  United  Traction  Company,  43; 
Absorbed  Consolidated  Traction  Company,  43 ;  Stock  owned  by  United 
Railways  Investment  Company,  44;  Owns  Beaver  Valley  Traction 
Company,  44;  Receives  nearly  all  dividends,  46;  Secured  control  in 
1902,  54. 
Philadelphia: — Stage  coaches  from,  27;  Subways  in,  82;  Compared  with 
other  cities,  113,  139;  Special  fixed  payment  for  street  maintenance, 
119;  Auxiliary  tracks  in,  121;  Earnings  per  car  mile,  123;  Transfers 
surface  to  elevated,  124;  Pay  transfers,  126;  Earnings  include  rapid 
transit,  130;  Growth  in  population,  140-141;  Digest  of  settlement  ordi- 
nance and  results  of,  Appendix  B,  163. 

Plan: — City  grew  up  without,  32;  For  both  City  and  transportation,  32. 

Pittsburgh  &  Castle  Shannon  Railway: — Rental  to,  47;  Earnings  included 

in  table,  96;  Mileage,  100. 
Pittsburgh  Southern  Street  Railway  Company: — Operated  by  agreement,  45. 
Pittsburgh,  Allegheny  &  Manchester  Passenger  Railway  Company : — 39. 
Pittsburgh  &  Ormsby  Passenger  Railway  Connpany : — 39. 
Pittsburgh  &  Birmingham  Passenger  Railway  Company : — 37. 
Pittsburgh  &  East  Liberty  Passenger  Railway  Company : — 37. 
Pittsburgh,  Oakland  &  East  Liberty: — Rights  declared  forfeited,  58. 
Pittsburgh  Civic  Cbmmission: — Report  to,  61;  Answers  to  questions  of,  143. 
Pittsburgh  District: — Growth  in  Population,  75. 
"Point"  The: — District  shown  by  Relief  map,  X-1;  At  junction  of  rivers,  30; 

First  business  district,  35;  Original,  expansion  eastward  from,  49; 

Population: — When  increased  50%,  earnings  double,  4;  Inside  and  outside 
city  limits,  30;  Scattered,  30;  Dot  map  showing  distribution  Pittsburgh, 
30-31  A;  Dot  map,  showing  distribution  in  Berlin,  30-3 IC;  Dot  map 
showing  distribution  in  Chicago,  30-31B;  Map  showing  density  and 
growth  Pittsburgh,  30-3 ID;  and  earnings,  73;  Per  acre  and  land  values, 
31;  Will  double  in  about  35  years,  75;  Diagram  showing,  95;  Miles  of 
track  and  population,  105;  Map  showing  population  and  earnings, 
112-113B;  0£  various  cities  and  traction  districts,  140- 14 IB;  and  earn- 
ings various  cities,  140- 141  A. 

Post  Office: — Comparative  diagram  of  receipts,  112. 

Power  Plants: — Some  equipment  inefficient,  3;  Commission  recommenda- 
tions, 64. 

Power: — Percentage  of  operating  expenses,  117;  Cost  reduced  by  lighter 
car,  21;  Earnings  from  sale  of,  120;  Possibilities  of  reducing  cost,  138. 

Present  Value: — To  determine  adequate  service,  5;  Basis  of  reorganization, 
10;  Or  depreciated  value,  19;  Not  as  great  as  reproduction  value,  55. 

Private  Capital: — For  building  subways,  12,  145;  Demand  return  larger 
than  current  interest  rate,  18;  If  private  capital  is  to  be  attracted,  24; 
Used  in  New  York.  82;  Subway  franchises  for,  83;  "Best  terms"  for 
building  subway,  84. 

Profiles: — Photographic  relief  map,  X-l;  Of  various  routes,  162-163  D. 

Profits: — Expected  but  must  be  deferred,  9;  First  during  promotion,  now 
last,  9;  Promoter's  for  subways,  12;  Of  short  hauls  and  losses  of  long 
hauls,  17;  Are  not  excessive,  24;  To  former  owners,  54;  Subway  profits 
divided  with  city,  82;  Or  used  for  extensions,  82;  Should  be  under  con- 
trol, 148. 

Private  Property: — Companies  have  right  to  use,  60. 

Program: — Financial  program  first,  4;  Comprehensive  for  reorganization, 
11;  A  suggested  immediate  program,  70. 

Property  Values: — Increase  faster  than  population,  147. 

Public  Control : — See  Control. 

Public  Record: — To  check  cost  and  service,  6;  Of  charters,  franchises,  stock, 
bonds,  etc.,  13. 

Publicity: — Policy  of — Summary,  2;  Of  routing  information  recommended 
by  Commission,  52;  Is  best  policy,  24;  All  records  to  be  public,  70. 


INDEX 


195 


Public  Opinion: — Has  not  progressed  in  Pennsylvania,  10;  Educated  to  adjust 
and  maintain  balance,  15;  Development  of,  51. 

Public  Service  Commission :— In  other  cities,  14;  Digest  of  powers,  Appendix 
B,  163. 

Public  Utility  Bureau :— Suggested  for  Pittsburgh,  14;  Los  Angeles,  Appen- 
dix B,  163. 

R 

Railroad  Commission : — Recommendations  of,  2;  Established  in  1907,  60; 
Powers — in  part  vague,  61;  Does  not  have  powers  to  regulate  securi- 
ties, 61;  Reports  to  and  from,  61;  Recommendations  of  April  24th, 
1909,62;  Recommendations  of  June  24th,  1910,63;  Digest  of  powers  and 
duties,  Appendix  B,  163. 
Rail : — Improved — Summary,  1. 

Rapid  Transit:— Summary,    1,    11;  Suburban  roads,    12;  Probable  require- 
ments for,  19;  Builds  up  suburban  districts,  17;  Sub-committee  m  1907, 
61;  Need  not  interfere  with  surface  system,  76;  Expenditures  for,  75; 
Problem  in  Pittsburgh,  78;  Spaed  of  trains,  86,  87. 
Rate  of  Fare: — Should  determine  service,  5;  Should  consider  past  burdens, 
18;  Fixed  by  commission,  23;  Limited  to  five  cents,  60;  Average  fare, 
various  cities,  127;  Fixed  by  control,  148. 
Rate  of  Return: — To  determine  adequate  service,  6;  In  Chicago  5%,  7;  In 
Cleveland,   6%,   8;    Probable  requirements   of,    19;   Approaching  just 
interest  rate,  24;  Should  be  under  control,  148. 
Ratios: — Bank  clearings  to  gross  earnings,  109;  Operating  expenses  to  gross 
earnings,  109;  Run  off  to  revenue  car  miles,  109;  To  show  comparison 
irrespective  of  size,  113;  Fixed  charges  and  dividends  to  total  income, 
116;  Surplus  or  deficit  to  total  income,  116;  Total  made  by  company 
to  total  income,  116;  Total  operating  expenses  to  gross  earnings,  117; 
Transportation  and  power  to  gross  earnings,   117;  Operating  expenses 
less  taxes  to  gross  earnings,   117;  Depreciation  to  gross  earnings,  118; 
Taxes  to  gross  earnings,  119;  Passenger  earnings  to  gross  earnings,  120; 
Gross  earnings  to  total  income,  120;  Operated  track  to  total  track,  121; 
Revenue  passenger  miles  to  total  mileage,  122;  Gross  earnings  to  revenue 
car  miles,  124;  Operating  expenses  to  revenue  car  miles,  125;  Revenue 
passengers  to  total  passengers,    126;  Transfer    passengers    to   revenue 
passengers,    126;  Total  passengers  to  revenue   car   miles,   129;  Annual 
car  miles  to  miles  of  track,  131;  Total  passenger  cars  to  miles  of  track, 
132;  Gross  earnings  to  passenger  cars,  133;  Car  miles  to  revenue  cars, 
134;  Summary  of  comparisons,  138;  Graphical  diagram  of  comparisons, 
122-123. 
Radials  and  Circuits : — Natural  design  for  intercommunication,  142. 
Real  Estate : — See  land  values;  Owner  and  best  facilities,  17. 
Reorganization:— Of  present  system — summary,  1;  On  basis  of  fair  return, 
2;  In  Chicago  and  ordinances,  7;  Results  in  Chicago,  8;  With  reduced 
capital,  9;  On  basis  of  present  value,  10;  Program  for,  11;  In  Cleveland 
and  low  fare,  128. 
Receipts  per  Capita: — See  income  per  capita. 
Records: — Operating  and  financial,  87;  Should  be  under  control,  148;  Should 

be  public,  154;  Of  count  for  re-routing,  155. 
Regulation :— Street  Traffic — Summary,  1;  Right  to  regulate  service,  10;  By 
competent  body,  10;  Information  for,  14;  To  insure  full  measure  of 
service,  17;  Logical  method  of,  23;  Could  be  fixed  in  franchise,  52; 
Development  of  state,  60;  Digest  of  legislation,  State  and  municipal, 
with  results  of,  Appendix  B,  163. 
Revenue: — Passengers  by  months,  97;  Diagram  showing,  98;  Car  miles  by 
months,  98;  Income  from  revenue  passengers,  120;  Revenue  car  miles, 
122,  123 ;  Passengers  per  car  mile,  129;  Car  miles  per  mile  of  single  track, 

136. 
Rehabilitation:— Summary,   1,  3;  Must  not  increase  capital,  7;  Three  year 
period  in  Chicago,  7;  Out  of  earnings  in  New  York,  8;  Money  for  must 
be  provided,  9;  As  an  investment,  10;  Immediate  needs,  51;  Up  to  70% 


^  ^^ 


hi 


n 


1%      THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


%\nmn^nn^7I?^Su^\fi  ^"  Chicago.   118;  Present  requirements  for 
3F  10,000.000,  143;  Should  be  under  control,  148. 

Renewalsj-Outof  Earnings— Summary,    1;  No  provision  at  organization. 
4.  8;  Must  provide  fund,  7;  Only  small  part  out  of  earnings  fundamental 
detect.  9;  Importance  before  interest,  9;  Not  regular,  44;  Several  milli- 
ons charged  to  capital  account.  55  \  Failure  to  provide  out  of  earnings 
5b;  At  least  $1,000,000  per  year.  143.  ^  * 

Rentals:— No  rental  to  owned  companies,  46;  No  account  of  Consolidated 
and  United  46;  Of  leased  property.  47.  55;  Account  for  eight  years,  88; 
Must  be  reduced,  93;  Of  operating  equipment,  120.  &      ^         .       . 

Repair  Shop:— Facilities  inadequate.  3;  For  steel  cars,  4;  Commission  re- 
commends provision  for  repairs,  63. 

Reports:— To  Secretary  of  Internal  Affairs,  60;  To  Mayors,   Guthrie  and 
?cf^o^:  ^}''^?  ^a^l^oad  Commission,  61;  To  Civic  Commission,  61,  143: 
Of   Pittsburgh   Railways  Company,  61;  Preliminary  on  Rapid  Transit. 
i?i   eu"'^,^®?  ^y  Pittsburgh  Railways  Co. ;  87;  Shbuld  be  under  control 
148;  Should  be  public,  154;  Conductors,  158. 

Relief  Map:— Of  Street  Railway  system,  X-1. 

Reproduction  Value:— See  cost  to  reproduce. 

Re-routing :— Summary,  1;  Will  result  in  track  changes,  3;  Should  have 
extensive  study,  5;  In  immediate  needs,  51;  Recommended  by  Com- 
mission, 63 ;  Mayor  Magee  requests  conference,  65 ;  Suggested  by  com- 
pany, 66;  The  re-routing  problem,  153;  Data  for,  154;  Principles  in- 
volved, 157. 

Re-planning: — See  city  plan. 

Results:— In  largest  American  cities  compared,  113,  139. 

Reserves :— For  renewals,  damages,  fire,  etc.,  18;  Probable  amount  19- 
1^ or  subways,  82 ;  For  depreciation,  1 18 ;  Should  be  under  control,  148.    ' 

Return  Circuit : — Best  cure  for  electrolysis,  4. 

Return  on  Investment :— Attention  at  time  of  combination,  4;  Boston, 
Chicago  and  Pittsburgh,  6;  In  subways  depends  on,  83;  Of  various  city 
systems,  116.  "^ 

Return  to  Company:— Of  various  city  systems,  114,  115,  116;  Consists  of 
hxed  charges  and  dividends,  116;  From  each  passenger,  127. 

Revenue  Car  Miles  (per):— Gross  earnings,  102;  Total  passengers,  102- 
Operating  expenses,  102;  Diagram  showing,  103;  Gross  earnings  from' 
operation,  124;  Operating  expenses,  125;  Passengers,  129. 

Riding  Habit:— Increased  rapidly  from  1891  to  1896,  41;  Increases  as  com- 
munity grows,  73;  And  operation,  76;  Necessity  of  cultivation,  138; 
Should  be  cultivated,  143. 

Right  to  Purchase: — Surface  system  and  subways,  2,  14;  In  first  franchises, 
52;  Not  maintained,  53;  At  fair  compensation,  70;  Subways  built  by 
pnvate  capital,  83 ;  Legislation  for  subways,  146. 

Rosslyn  Street  Railway  Company : — Operated  by  agreement,  45. 

Rivers:— Subways  under,  13;  Monongahela,  Allegheny  and  Ohio,  27;  Im- 
provements and  bridges,  28;  Tonnage  in  1907,  29;  Steam  lines  along. 
86-87 A;  Streets  parallel  to,  162-163A. 

Routing:— Inconsistent,  56;  Should  be  studied,  63;  To  eliminate  useless  car 
miles,  69;  To  provide  through  routes,  69;  Through  routes  in  Chicago, 
135;  Establish  principles  of,  154. 

Rush  Hour: — Trippers,  62;  More  cars  recommended  by  commission,  63; 
Seating  capacity,  steam  suburban,  86-87  B;  Typical  count,  individual 
car,  159;  Crowding  during,  160;  Car  movement,  downtown  by  map, 
162-163  A;  Seating  capacity  entire  system,  map,  162-163B;  Standing 
load,  162-163C.  ^  f  .  s 


Safety: — First  consideration,  16. 

San  Francisco: — Original  cable  lines,  39;  Also  "held"  by  United  Railways 
Investment,  44;  One  sided  city.  49;  Comparison  with  other  cities,  113- 


INDEX 


197 


139;  Large  amount  of  transfers,  126;  High  earnings  per  mile  of  track, 
130;  Large  earnings  per  car,  133;  Growth  in  population,  140- 14 IB. 

Schedules: — Maintained — summary,  1;  Improved — summary,  4;  Should  be 
maintained,  62;  Commission  suggests  persistent  endeavor,  64;  Winter 
schedule  requested,  65;  System  for  recording  and  checking,  154;  Data 
for  re-routing,  155;  Counts  to  determine  if  adhered  to,  160;  Shown  on 
map  of  downtown  district,  162-163A;  Cars  to  leave  business  district 
rush  hour,  162- 163  B;  Of  seats  and  standing  load.  map.  162-163C;  On 
seats  on  various  routes,  162-163D;  Winter  schedules  by  routes, 
162-163  F. 

Seats: — In  rush  hour  on  steam  lines,  12;  For  every  passenger,  20;  Empty  in 
outlying  districts,  22;  On  East  Liberty  Express  route,  58;  Standing  in 
percentage  of,  158;  Less  than  scheduled,  162-163C;  Map  showing  rush 
hour  for  system,  162-163B. 

Seat  Mile: — Operating  expenses  less  with  rapid  transit,  74. 

Secretary  of  Internal  Affairs: — Should  make  investigation,  13;  Empowered 
to  require  reports,  60;  Extracts  from  annual  reports,  100. 

Self-supporting  Bonds : — City's  right — summary,  2 ;  To  secure  ultimate  con- 
trol, 14;  Should  be  under  control,  149. 

Service: — Adequate — See  Adequate  service.  Proportion  of  income  for,  5; 
Pittsburgh  compared  with  other  cities,  6;  70%  of  income  set  aside  in 
Chicago,  7;  In  Cleveland,  8;  Secondary  to  profit  at  first,  9;  Right  to 
regulate  denied  by  Company,  10;  Immediate  needs  for  better,  51;  Often 
infrequent,  56;  Tendency  toward  higher  standard,  20;  Has  been  starved, 
44;  Relative  steam  road  and  trolley,  86,  87;  Of  various  cities  compared, 
115;  Operating  ratios  indicates  services,  117;  Service  per  year,  various 
cities,  122;  Comparison  of  cities  graphically,  122-123;  Earnings  per  car 
as  measure,  133;  Summary  of  comparisons,  137;  How  much  better  can 
company  give,  143;  Benefit  of  improvements  in,  143;  Affected  by  taxa- 
tion, 148;  Should  be  under  control,  149;  Present  routing  unsatisfactory, 
153;  Relation  to  income  determined,  154;  On  each  route,  156;  Measure 
of,  157 ;  Determined  by  conductor's  reports,  158. 

Settlement: — In  Chicago,  6,  69;  In  Cleveland,  6,  69;  Basis  for  permanent, 
69;  Foundation  of  facts,  71;  Must  precede  re-routing,  144;  Valuation 
to  be  made  at  time  of,  13;  Ordinances,  digest  of,  Chicago,  Cleveland, 
Philadelphia  and  Los  Angeles,  Appendix  B.  163. 

Seventeenth  Street  Incline  Company: — Operated  by  agreement,  45. 

Short  Hauls: — On  surface  system,  13;  Profits  of,  17;  One  of  two  things  to 
reduce  average  cost,  22;  Passengers  in  short  haul  cars,  22;  Served  by 
through  routed,  56;  No  subway  stops  in  short  haul  territory,  81;  Estab- 
lishing short  haul  routes,  135;  Must  give  more  attention  to,  139;  Loops 
in  downtown  district,  157. 

Shuttle  Service : — With  smaller  cars,  157. 

Sinking  fund : — For  retiring  cost  of  subway,  83. 

Smithfield  Street : — Bridge — summary,  1 ;  Should  be  widened,  2 ;  Mayor  Magee* s 
letter  to  President  Gallery,  65. 

Southern  Traction  Co. : — Chartered  in  1900,  43;  Changed  name  to  Pittsburgh 
Railways  Co.,  43;  Growth  in  mileage,  100. 

Speed: — Maximum  possible,  16;  Of  subway  trains,  21. 

Stage  Coaches: — Philadelphia  to  Pittsburgh,  27. 

State: — Taxes,  47;  Development  of  legislation,  59;  Regulation,  60;  Consti- 
tution of  1874,  60;  Utility  control,  digest  and  results  of.  Appendix 
B,  163. 

South  Side: — First  electric  line  to,  40;  Nine  square  miles  in  area,  50; 
Subway  eventually  to,  81. 

Steam  Roads: — See  also  electrification.  Control  of  crossing — summary,  1; 
Electrified  terminals,  17;  In  Pittsburgh  district,  12;  Map  of  Pittsburgh 
district,  28;  Tonnage  in  1907,  29;  Home  communities  along,  30;  Elec- 
trification of  suburban  tracks,  85;  Zone  map  of  time,  86-87 A;  Rush 
hour  seat  map,  one  way,  86-87 B;  Map  of  lines,  86-87C. 

Steel  cars: — Should  replace  small  wooden,  4. 


\ 


Til  Jt 


198     THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


Standardization: — Tendency  toward,  113. 

Standing: — Length  of  standing  load,   158;  Amount  of  standing  load,   159; 

Load  of  East  Liberty  Express  route,  160;  Map  showing  standing  load, 

162-163C. 

Stocks: — Owned  by  Philadelphia  Company,  10;  Should  be  record,  13;  Of 
Consolidated  and  United  Traction,  46;  Control  through  stock  owner- 
ship, 46;  Owned  by  outsiders,  47 ;  Purchased  to  secure  control,  53. 

St.  Louis: — Increase  in  income  per  capita,  143;  Reserves  for  depreciation, 
118;  Auxiliary  tracks  in,  121;  Earnings  per  car  mile,  124;  Large  amount 
of  transfers,  126;  High  earnings  per  car  mile,  130;  Compared  with  other 
cities,  113,  139;  Growth  in  population,  140,  141. 

St.  Paul: — Reserves  for  depreciation,  118. 

Storage: — Of  cars  recommended  by  Commission:  64;  Mayor  Magee  inquires 
about,  66;  Location  data  for  re-routing,  155. 

Street  Traffic  : — Regulation  summary,  1 ;  Impeded  by  poor  paving,  3. 

Streets : — Condition  of  paving,  3 ;  Courts  to  decide  cleaning,  13 ;  Require- 
ments in  first  charters,  52;  Improvements  by  company,  53;  Narrow 
prevent  long  cars,  56;  Repair  required  by  ordinance,  57 ;  Bill  for  $850,000 
for  cleaning,  58;  Extension  of  street  regulation,  65;  Hap-hazard  com- 
bination, 73;  Narrow  in  downtown  district,  78;  Subway  to  relieve  con- 
gestion, 79;  Street  maintenance  in  Philadelphia,  119;  Crowded  down- 
town, 141 ;  Cleaning  should  be  under  control,  148;  Width  for  re-routing, 
155;  Traffic  regulated  on,  16. 

Stops: — No  short  haul,  on  subway,  81. 

Surface  System: — Immediate  improvements — summary,  1;  Future  improve- 
provements — summary,  1;  Growth  of  district  depends  upon,  3;  Will 
continue  to  be  unsatisfactory,  10;  Length  of  ride  not  excessive,  11; 
As  a  collecting  and  distributing  system,  12;  In  Chicago  with  through 
routes,  30-31  B;  Development  of,  53;  Improvement  recommended  by 
commission,  62;  Investment  per  dollar  earned,  74;  Future  of,  76;  Com- 
bined with  subways,  81;  Interchange  of  transfers  with  subway,  85; 
Map  of  all  lines,  100-101;  Schedule  seats,  rush  hour,  163-163B;  Shown 
by  photograph  of  relief  map,  X-1. 

Suits: — Against  company,  58. 

Suburban  Roads: — For  rapid  transit,  11,  12;  Suit  to  prevent  bringing  cars, 
58;  Traffic  density,  86;  Time  zone  map,  express  trains,  86,  87. 

Subways: — Summarjr,  1,  11;  Self-supporting  bonds,  2;  Investment  per  dollar 
earned,  75;  Preliminary  report  upon,  78;  Subways  combined  with  sur- 
face system,  81;  In  Boston,  New  York  and  Philaaelphia,  82. 

Summary: — Of  report,  1 ;  Of  income  account,  91. 

Surety  Contract : — Pittsburgh  Railways  Company,  45. 

Surplus: — Account  for  eight  years,  88;  Of  various  city  systems,  116. 

Subsidiary: — Companies  incorporated,  45;  To  Consolidated  and  United 
Traction,  46. 

Swensson,  Emil : — Report  to  Railroad  Commission,  61. 

Switches: — Automatic — summary,  1;  Recommended  by  Commission,  63. 


Taxes: — Requirements  provided  for,  10;  Court  decisions  to  determine,  13 
Probable  amount,  19;  Division  of  profits,  17;  Being  more  carefully 
studied,  22;  And  land  values,  31;  City  and  State,  47;  Borough,  48; 
Earnings  and  car  tax  in  first  charters,  52;  On  cars  and  tracks,  57:  Ac- 
count for  eight  years,  88;  In  various  cities  compared,  119;  City's  share 
in  Chicago  as  specified  tax,  119;  EfTected  by  transportation,  147;  Should 
be  under  control,  148. 

Tables: — Showing  actual  size  and  ratios,  113-139.    See  list  at  end  of  index. 

Tendencies: — Present,  19;  To  recognize  actual  investment,  19;  To  make 
valuations,  19;  To  build  extensions  by  assessment,  19;  Toward  higher 
standard  of  service,  20;  To  demand  three-cent  fare,  20;  To  increase 
income  by  abolishing  transfers,  20;  Toward  zone  system  of  operation. 


INDEX 


199 


21:  To  carefully  study  taxation,  22;  Toward  public  regulation,  23; 
Toward  depreciation  account,  23;  Toward  lowering  fair  rate  of  return, 
24 ;  Toward  profit  sharing,  24 ;  Toward  municipal  ownership,  24 ;  Toward 
reducing  costs,  74;  Toward  standardization,  113;  To  get  out  into  the 
country,   145. 

Terminals: — Use  of  subway,  11;  Lack  of  convenient,  12;  Loops  in  terminal 
district,  56;  Subway  in  Philadelphia,  82;  Electrified  road,  downtown 
terminal  district,  86,  87;  Of  a  subway  system,  145;  For  electrified  steam 
roads,  145;  Summary  of  comparisons,  137;  Data  for  re-routing,  155. 

Technical:— Study,  this  report  a,  13;  Original  expense,  19;  Details  should 
be  under  control,  148. 

Through  Routes: — From  starting  point  to  destination,  16;  From  transfer 
center  to  center,  32;  Lack  of  in  business  district,  56;  To  be  provided  by 
re-routing,  70;  Will  give  better  service,  143;  What  possibilities  for,  144; 
For  rapid  transit  lines,  146;  For  re-routing  to  determine,  157;  Estab- 
lished gradually,  157. 

Tickets: — Free  to  employes,  127;  Sales  of  tickets,  128. 

Telephone  Calls: — Comparative  diagram,  112. 

Time  Tables: — Graphical  railroad,  86;  Graphical  surface  lines,  162-163  D. 

Time: — Zone  map,  12;  Zone  map  showing  running  time,  86-87;  Length  of 
time  to  get  subway,  145;  Of  each  trip  for  each  route,  155;  Record  of 
running  time,  159;  On  cars  of  various  route  trips,  162-163B. 

Tonnage: — Diagram  of  steel,  101;  Comparative  diagram,  112. 

Topography: — Subway  to  overcome,  11;  Combination  of  disadvantages,  32; 
Makes  extensions  expensive,  53;  Shown  by  irregular  steam  lines, 
86-87;  Government  map  of  district,  162-163F;  Shown  by  photograph 
of  relief  map,  X-1. 

Traffic: — Street,  regulation — summary,  1;  Vehicle,  impeded  by  poor  pav- 
ing, 3;  Flow  not  all  one  w^av;  16;  Rapid  transit  will  create,  145;  Record 
of  each  route,  156;  Most  efficient  traffic  density,  157;  Inbound  and  out- 
bound, 160;  For  one  day,  map,  112- 113 A. 

Trains:— Sufficient  to  justify  investment,  11;  In  open  air,  12;  To  secure 
rapid  transit,  81 ;  More  efficient  for  rapid  transit,  146. 

Trailers: — Mayor  Magee  inquires  about,  65;  Car  mileage,  how  recorded,  122; 
On  East  Liberty  Express  route,  160. 

Tracks: — Should  be  no  delay  in  improving,  2;  In  bad  condition,  3;  Should 
be  built  for  easy  riding,  16;  Inside  and  outside  city  limits,  29;  Better 
tracks,  immediate  need,  51;  581  miles  single  track,  54;  Suits  to  compel 
repair,  58;  Right  to  use  other  company's,  59;  Right  to  connect  with 
steam  roads,  60;  Commission  recommends  maintenance,  64;  Mayor 
Magee  inquires  about,  65;  Of  steam  lines,  86-87 A;  Mileage  from  Secre- 
tary of  Internal  Affairs,  100;  Diagram  of  growth  of  trackage,  101; 
Miles  per  capita,  107 ;  Map  showing,  inside  and  outside  city  limits,  100- 
101;  Map  showing  entire  system,  34-35;  Mileage  compared  graphically, 
122-123;  Mileage  of  various  cities  compared,  121,  136;  In  car  barns, 
storage,  etc.,  121;  Summary  of  comparisons,  137;  Need  for  new  con- 
nections, 144. 

Transfers: — Summary,  1;  Between  surface  and  subway,  11;  To  insure  den- 
sity of  traffic,  13 ;  Patron  expects  universal,  16 ;  From  less  to  more  effi- 
cient system,  18;  Making  small  charge  for,  20;  Abolishing  free,  20; 
Between  main  and  hill  lines,  32;  Of  franchises,  52;  Inconvenient,  56; 
Transfer  ordinance  passed,  57;  To  provide  ride  in  one  direction,  70; 
Record  by  years,  97;  Diagram  showing  monthly  record,  99;  Diagram 
of  percentage,  110;  For  one  day  shown  on  map,  112-113  A;  Summary  of 
comparisons,  138;  To  elevated  in  Boston.  Brooklyn  and  Philadelphia, 
124;  Percent  of  transfer  traffic,  126;  Pay  transfers  to  inclines,  127;  Will 
secure  better  service,  143;  Are  they  reasonable,  144;  In  Chicago  and 
Cleveland,  144;  Trial  period  suggested,  144;  Competition  of  transfers, 
146;  Data  for  re-routing,  155;  To  determine  for  re-routing,  157;  Com- 
pensation for  inconvenience,  157. 

Transportation  Problem: — Of  Pittsburgh  district— summary,  1;  General 
discussion  of  the  Pittsburgh  district,  15,  27;  Magnitude  of,  75;  To  pro- 


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200     THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


vide  communication  to  and  from  cities,  142;  Of  transporting  workers, 

Trippers : — Recommended  by  Commission,  62. 

Trolley  :—(S^e  also  Electric  Railroads) ;  System  brings  communities  together 

31 ;  Overhead  carnage  instead  of  pole,  40 ;  Introduction  of,  53. 
Traction  Results :— In  largest  American  cities  compared  with  Pittsburgh,  113. 

Transportation  and  Power ;— Percentage  of  operating  expenses,  117;  Account 
for  eight  years,  88. 

Try  Street: — Grade  crossing;  Mayor  Magee's  letter,  65. 

Tustin  Street  Railway  Company : — Operated  by  agreement,  45. 

Uncertainty:— Reasons  for  present,   51;  Why  company  is  uncertain.   67: 
Why  city  does  not  act,  68. 

Underground:— Feeders  should  be  in  conduit,  3;  All  transmission  and  feeder 

cables,  17;  First  conduit  system,  40.     See  Frontispiece. 
Underlying  Companies :— One  hundred  fifty  companies,   53;  Map  of  lines, 

United  Railways  Investment  Company:— Holding  company,  10;  Incor- 
porated in  1902,  44;  Secured  control  in  1906,  54. 

United  Traction  Company :— Chartered,  43 ;  Rentals  paid  on  account  of,  46 ; 
Growth  in  mileage,  100. 

Universal  Transfers: — See  Transfers. 

Uniform  System: — Of  accounting,  113. 

Value  of  Property: — See  present  value,  cost  to  reproduce  and  depreciated 
value.     Also  land  value. 

Valuation:— In  Chicago.  7;  In  Cleveland,  8;  Should  be  official,  13;  Tenden- 
cies toward,  19 ;  On  basis  of  purchase,  53 ;  Of  subway  equipment,  83. 

Ventilation: — Of  cars,  1;  Should  be  no  delay,  2;  Recommended  by  Com- 
mission, 63. 

Wages: — Should  be  under  control,  148. 

Washington,  D.  C. :— Comparison  with  other  cities,  113-139;  Growth  in 
population,    140- 14  IB. 

Washington,  Pa.: — Track  mileage  to,  121. 

Washington  &  Canonsburg  Company: — Made  part  of  system  in  1909,  44 
Way  and  Structure: — Extraordinary  maintenance,  88. 
Weight: — Of  car  per  seat,  21. 

West  End  Traction  Company: — Consolidated  in  1900,  43. 
Wilmerding: — Second  Avenue  line  to,  41. 

Wisconsin: — Railroad  Commission,  digest  of  powers,  Appendix  B,  163. 
Workmen: — Special  low  rates  to,  17. 
Wright,  Henry  C.:— Report  to  Mayor  Magee,  61. 
Zone  Map: — Running  time  trolley  and  steam  roads,  86-87C. 
Zone  System: — No  decided  tendency  toward,  20;  Of  operation  rather  than 
fare,  21;  For  rapid  transit,  146. 

TABLES. 

Bibliography— Reports  on  Pittsburgh  Transportation 61 

Territorial  Growth  of  Pittsburgh  by  Annexation 49 

Records — Pittsburgh  Railways  Company: 

Income  account,  1902- 10 88 

Gross  earnings  from  operation,  by  months,  1902-10 96 

Revenue  passengers  carried,  by  months,  1902-10 97 

Revenue  car  miles  operated,  by  months,  1902-10 98 

Track  mileage  and  gross  earnings — all  Companies,  1881-1910 100 

Gross  earnings  per  revenue  car  mile,  1902-10 102 

Total  passengers  per  revenue  car  mile,  1902-10 102 

Operating  expenses  per  revenue  car  mile,  1902-09 102 

Ratio — per  mile  track — population,  1897-1909 106 

Revenue  car  miles,  1902-09 106 

Gross  earnings,  1885-1909 106 


INDEX 


201 


\) 


t 


Ratio — per  capita — Gross  earnings,  1896-1909 107 

Miles  of  track,  1896-1909 107 

Revenue  car  miles,  1902-09 107 

Ratio — Bank  clearings  to  gross  earnings,  1890-1909 108 

Ratio — Qperating  expenses  to  earnings,  1901-09 108 

Revenue  run  off  car  miles,  by  months,  1904-06 109 

Passengers  handled,  detailed  as  to  fare,  1902-09 Ill 

Winter  car  schedule  by  routes 162-163  F 

Comparative  records  of  larger  cities  for  last  fiscal  year: 

Fixed  charges,  dividends  and  surplus 116 

Ratio — Operating  expenses  to  gross  earnings 117 

Depreciation \\^ 

Taxes ng 

Annual  earnings  from  operation 120 

Track  mileage \2\ 

Car  miles  operated 122 

Gross  earnings  per  car  mile \  ,  ,  124 

Operating  expenses  per  car  mile 125 

Passengers  carried 126 

Average  fare '  * . .  127 

Passengers  per  car  mile 129 

Earnings  per  mile  of  track 130 

Car  miles  per  mile  of  track 131 

Cars  operated  per  mile  of  track I32 

Annual  earnings  per  car 133 

Car  miles  per  car * ,  .  134 

Length  of  car  travel 135 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 
Frontispiece : — Early  traction  systems  in  Pittsburgh. 
Maps. 

Profile  model  of  Pittsburgh  Traction  System X-1 

Transportation  map  of  steam  and  electric  lines,  Pittsburgh 

District 28 

Distribution  of  population,  Pittsburgh,  dot  map 30-31  A 

'*  Chicago,  dot  map 30-31  B 

Berlin,  dot  map 30-31  C 

Growth  and  density  of  population,  Pittsburgh 30-31  D 

Code  map  of  all  electric  lines,  Pittsburgh  and  vicinity 34-35 

Pittsburgh  Street  Railway  lines  in  1869 36 

1890 38 

"        1902 42 

Growth  of  Pittsburgh  by  annexation 50 

Steam  road  lines,  Pittsburgh  and  vicinity 86-87  A 

Seating  capacity,  rush  hour,  steam  roac^ 86-87  B 

Time  Zone  map  steam  and  electric  lines,  Pittsburgh 86-87  A 

Pittsburgh  Street  Railway  lines  in  1910 100-101 

Passenger  movement  by  districts, 112-113  A 

Annual  earnings  by  districts 112-113  B 

Comparative  outlines  of  largest  urban  traction  districts 122-123  A 

Re-routing  plan,  down  town  district  proposed  by  Pittsburgh 

Railways  Company 152 

Car  movement,  rush  hour,  downtown  terminal  district 162-163  A 

Seating  capacity,  rush  hotu-,  present  routing  and  winter 

schedule..   .....  / ...:....;.... 162-163  B 

Standing  load,  rush  hour,  typical  record. > .;..-. 162-163  C 

Route  profiles  with  time  and  seating  capacity,  typical  record    162-163  D 

Topographical  mip  ci  Pitt-hurgh  and  vicijiity.. 162-163  E 

Diagrams : —  ...-,.-.     ,   '    ',    . 

Graphical  time  tabiC,  typical  record. :/.!..'...: 86 

Actual  distribution  of  expenditures,   Pittsburgh  Railways 

Company,  190^-10.    .    .    .    '..  .  , 90 

Comparative  distribution  of  expenaitiii^s,  Pittsburgh  Rail- 
ways Company,  1902-10. ..'.:... 92 

Comparative  financial  records  of  larger  cities 114 


m 

m 


202     THE  PITTSBURGH  TRANSPORTATION  PROBLEM 


Comparative  operating  results  of  larger  cities 136 

All  oay  passenger  count  by  routes,  typical  record 161 

Curves; — 

Growth  of  earnings   and   population    Pittsburgh    Distnct, 

1881-1910 9| 

Passenger  and  car  miles,  1902-10 98 

Growth  in  track  mileage,  1885-1910 101 

Ratio  per  revenue  car  mile,  earnings,  expenses  and  passen- 
gers, 1902-1910 103 

Relation  between  growth  of  car  miles  and  earnings. 104 

Ratio  per  mile  of  single  track,  population  car  miles  and 

earnings,  1886-1910 .•  •  ■  •  105 

Ratio  per  capita,  track  mileage,  car  mileage  and  earnings, 

1895-1910 106 

Ratio — bank  clearings  and  operating  expenses  to  gross  earn- 
ings. 1902-10 109 

Revenue  to  run  off  car  miles.  1904-07 109 

Average  fare  and  per  cent,  transfer  traffic,  1902-10 110 

Comparative  industrial  ^frowth,   Pittsburgh  District,  bank 
clearings,  railway  earnmgs,  steel  tonnage,  telephone  calls 

and  post  office  receipts •  • .•  •  112 

Comparative  operating  results  of  larger  cities  on  car  mile 

basis •. 122-123  B 

Relation  between  growth  of  earnings  and  population,  1900- 

10  (Logarithmic  plot)  of  larger  cities 140-141  A 

Growth  of  population  largest  American  cities,  1830-1910..  .      140-141  B 

Traffic  and  service  by  routes,  typical  record 156 

Passenger  count  on  individual  car,  typical  record 159 


»    1 » •   •   , 


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